Scripture in 1Peter 5

How often do you feel challenged in everyday life to speak or strike back, even in words alone when you feel hurt or offended by others behavior or how they may speak to you? Or perhaps you feel justified by the way they live their lives or even because you believe they are not living up to a specific set of principle, standards or beliefs that you agree with or doing what you want them to do.

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon God for he cares for you." (1)

Perhaps in reality, you are the one whose day is just not going as you had wished. Maybe when you got up, the alarm did work well or you just didn't hear it this morning, so you're running late. The kids were not moving as quickly as you needed to in order to make up time, so you started yelling at them and so they became grumpy in response to your frustration and appeared to move even slower, which of course, made you even more frustrated.

The dog even seemed to lag even longer going to the bathroom outside (though in reality it isn't true), but for you '-- your mind just hung on every moment and so every event became exaggerated and then as a result your emotional response was to become more stressed and frustrated.

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon God for he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Some, at this point of frustration, may be thinking and/or feeling, "so what" or "who cares about that statement" or "what does that mean anyway and how does it apply to me?"

It means pause. Breath; What is out of your control is out of your business or none or your business so give it up to where it belongs and go back to where you belong and you won't feel the stress your feeling. Let's break this down further, so it makes a little more sense.

When you start feeling negative emotions to what ever you're thinking, that is your alarm going off '" saying warning, you may be entering where you do not belong; this will not benefit you, your system (mind, body or soul) or those in your environment.

It is your signal for opportunity to communicate between your spirit, your heart and your mind in order to prevent creating ill health or dis-ease in some form; or we could say your conscious and subconscious mind in order to change an incorrect negative program; or we could also say between you and God as well and getting back in the right place of living daily with him and make all of these connections and free yourself from self induced pain and potential continued problems that could ripple from whatever choices you continue to make either way.

Any choice you make has a result. It never matters, 1) if you choose to or can see it, it just is; 2) when the result arises, it will in its own right time; 3) if the result creates a negative or positive response -- it's already done regardless if you acknowledge or deny it.

In this example, would be to recognize you had no control over a broken alarm. If you over slept, you would be responsible and aware this was the case and adjust accordingly, even if it meant you calling your boss to inform of your circumstance with humility and honesty verses yelling at your children and increasing your stress and anxiety for you, your family and potentially the rest of the day and anyone you came into contact with.

Essentially, you become responsible for your actions and attitude, which you do have control over and you turn over the rest to God. You are honest and forthright and cast all else that is not up to you '"into the hands that it belongs to, either Gods or if it is a concern how your boss will respond; that is your boss' business to let you know. Get out of that persons business and trying to figure out what or how they may or may not respond to you and get back into the business of minding your own actions and your behavior and your attitude '" so you can put your best self forward, now.

Then you will be calm, collected and get yourself and your family together in an orderly fashion that is much more progressive, proactive and effective.

Observable Fact: When a person is clear, confident and calm, they are able to redirect, speak and guide others and themselves with clarity, confidence and respectable authority. These individuals tend to guide more, inquire of others insights/experiences and make requests verses demands.

Observable Fact: When a person is feeling frustrated, lacks self esteem or self worth and is easily angered over little things or simple questions and doubts anyone is capable of doing anything correctly anyway '" they will speak and guide others and themselves with a sense of defeatism, less than respectful and generally less tact and tend to demand verses work with or make requests.

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon God for he cares for you." (1)

This concludes our sharing in this message for mastering yourself to recognize the Master.

(1) 1 Peter 5: 6-7 (Holy Bible as translated from Christ original Aramaic language, From the Ancient Eastern Text, The Peshitta)