There is nothing like having a person whose presence can shift the atmosphere — to have a situation turn around for the better, to have night turn into day.
There are individuals with that type of influence, to turn a negative atmosphere into a positive one.
They are the people who know how to “liven up” a party. The party could be going downhill, a dark cloud could be in the room, nobody is smiling or conversing but as soon as that person shows up the dark cloud is lifted and people are smiling while saying they had a good time.
There are people who walk into a room and the attitudes of those around them would change. For example, in church, some people do not come to worship. Some may come because it’s their Sunday to do a ministry like singing in the choir, ushering in the congregation and handling the finances. Some youth members come by the church because they are told by their guardians to go. Then a person shows up who loves the Lord with their only reason for coming to church was to express adoration, thanks and praise to their savior.
Those are the ones who follow Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.”
When a person comes in with their enthusiastic praise and worship, it starts a chain reaction. They turn a cold, dry service into a “praise fest.” They are referred to as “game changers.”
In sports, if a player was injured, the game would be over. Then their “star player” would show up and the morale of the team changes. The team rallies together and they would pull off a victory.
We came into this presence of what was supposed to be a dead situation became a changed situation.
As Christians, we need to be “game changers” and respected as Christians. We should be able to dispel a negative spirit when we approach any area.
Satan should not be dictating our homes, churches and communities. According to 1 John 4:4, “Greater is he that is within us than he that is in the world.”
People will be mad at you; do you wrong and say hurtful things about you but treating them right can change the whole situation. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” To respond with a soft answer turns the whole situation around. Those who do so are “game changers.”
They know how to diffuse a situation and for those of us who have enemies. According to Apostle Paul in Romans 12:20-21, “Therefore if your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.”
For anybody can do evil for evil; anybody can do word for word.
When Jesus was in a situation, he turned it around. He dispelled darkness, turned sadness into laughter, turned hate into love and loosed folk that were bounded. He was the greatest “game changer.”
There’s someone this morning that needs a breakthrough. Maybe they’re at their last resort and just want to call it quits.
Jesus went into a city called Nain and when he was near it, he ran into a funeral. There was a dead man, the only son of his mother being carried out. The atmosphere was grievous and the spirit of sorrow engulfed the whole crowd. Jesus had compassion for her.
According to Luke 7:11-15, he said, “Weep not…spoke to the dead man. Young man, I say arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And they all glorified God.”
Jesus shifted the atmosphere so your situation may look dead and hopeless, but remember that it isn’t over until God says it’s over.
The Rev. George Ellis is pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.