Life's Energy
Do you know someone that sends a tingle up and down your spine? I mean, someone that raises your spirits, which seems to “energize” you and makes you feel better in his, or her presence? You are picking up this person’s energy, their “life force”, and it’s not imaginary; it’s real! You feel inexplicably drawn to this individual, and it’s a feeling that will take you by surprise when you are fortunate enough to experience it.
If you have a husband, wife, partner, or “significant other”, you know what I’m talking about. Love is the benchmark that most of use in relating to the type of energy I’m referring to. At this moment you’re probably recalling the first time you got “zapped” by the intense emotion of real love….good feeling, wasn’t it?
Then there are those very unique relationships in which two people give and receive energy between one other. These relationships aren’t reserved for spouses or lovers; quite often they are between friends or acquaintances. Jackie (my wife) and I have found this in each other, and it has served to make not just our marriage, but our bond, so strong. When I am down, she lifts me up, and hopefully I am able to do the same for her when life throws her a curve. Individually we are both very strong; collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with. Add God to the equation, and, well, “…with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 The end result is that among all that Jackie is to and for me, she is still my best friend….even after 20 years (this April) of marriage.
Conversely, at some point there have probably been people in your life that have had just the opposite effect on you. These people can lower your spirits in an instant; you feel like they are draining the very life out of you. Guess what? They are; they’re feeding off your energy, and if you’re around them for any period of time, you feel absolutely drained. This too, is very real; be aware of it.
Here’s the funny thing: Some of these people are aware of what they are doing, what I like to refer to as “inviting me to share a seat on their pitty pot in life”. You know, it’s the “misery loves company thing”. This is not to say that you shouldn’t have compassion for people when they’re down. You just don’t want to get into the habit of “feeding” their weakness, because you will indeed find yourself taking a seat right next to them, which is doing no favors for either of you.
Still yet are those that don’t make a conscious effort to sap your strength. They are just lacking something in their lives that creates a void, a void that your energy can fill, even if the effect is only temporary.
I know that just a week ago I was urging you to share your light with people, as found in Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world…..let your light shine before men….” I’ll remind you that to “share” means to tell, allow to use, or to give a portion of something to someone. A portion. Share your light with others. Share your energy with others. Don’t give all of either of these away, and don’t let anyone take all of them from you!
Okay, I’m gonna step “outside the box” for just a minute and talk about something; some of you will understand it, some of you will think about it, and the rest of you may think that I’ve lost it! And that’s okay. Look, I’m not trying to win a popularity contest on this site, or in life. During the past two years I’ve learned that you lose a few friends when you speak openly about your faith in general terms, and even more when you speak openly about God. Those relationships I may have lost along the way have paled in comparison to what I have received. I’m sorry; I went on a tangent, which I am prone to do….back to the topic.
I want you to take a moment to think about someone you know that absolutely walks with God every day. Think about their spirituality, the depth of their faith, and the inner-strength that you would assume comes with that faith. If you don’t know someone with these qualities, think of, I don’t know, a priest, pastor, minister…you know, a person of the cloth. Got someone in mind? Good.
Now think about this for a moment….there are people that walk with the devil (or whatever term for evil you prefer to use), on the dark side, every day. These people also possess an inner-strength, and it is not a good one. They would like nothing more than to corrupt you, steer you off course, and rob you of your “light”. Beware of these people….they do exist. If you are around an individual or group of people, and you sense that something is wrong, trust your instincts! Say a quick prayer, or just ask God to protect you from anything not of Him. Look, I’m not trying to scare you. I’ve told you all along that I want to share what I believe to be true. It has been my experience that the closer I get to God, and the closer I get to doing His work, the more the devil does to thwart my efforts.
I’m not suggesting that you walk in fear. I’m asking you to walk with the awareness that evil does exist, and that the devil doesn’t go after bad people; he already has them….
Try to keep company with people that lift you up, that gladly share their energy, their “spirit”, with you. As your “walk’ in life changes, so too will the company of those you keep; you’ll want it that way. Do your best to stay away from those whose mere presence brings you down. I know, I know, there are individuals that you have to be around, like some family members or co-workers. But that doesn’t mean that you have to share in their misery, or let it rub off on you. When you must be in the company of these individuals, you will find that your awareness of the situation will make things better….not necessarily for them, but certainly for you!
Each day, ask for discernment in recognizing those with whom you may share your energy, those from whom you may receive energy, and those that you want to keep at arm’s length. You’ll be surprised by the amount of intuition you are given as you walk the path of life.
Contact me: sam@theseedofhope.com