Managing Intensity

Jesus was an intense man. Amen! For good reason, He came to earth to carryout a significant plan and purpose. However, being intense is not always what is required in all situations. Being able to be kind, gentle, and peaceful is important too. A peaceful spirit is a sign of someone who has a close relationship with the Lord. At the same time, a person with vibrance and fire for doing God's work is equally important. Passion can sometimes overshadow a peaceful spirit.

I went out the other night with some friends. A husband and wife who have been married for over 14 years joined us. The husband was driving all of us to an event. He became irritated since he was having trouble finding the entrance way to the parking lot. His temperament rose very abruptly and the speed of the car increased drastically. His wife who was sitting in the passenger seat noticed her husband's intensity over the situation was getting overheated. She leaned over, put her hand on his shoulder, and said with the sweetest voice, "Everything is fine honey. We will get their in plenty of time." The husband's entire being was transformed to a much more peaceful state. Everyone in the car began to feel very much at ease.

A valuable lesson is learned from this experience. In most relationships, the significant other's intensity level usually rises to match the person who is being intense. Instead, there was great power in the way this situation was handled. It was a demonstration of how we have the ability to intensify or defuse a situation just by the approach we take with each other. A great question to always ask ourselves when dealing with intense situations, WWJD = What Would Jesus Do?