Each morning, as soon as my children leave for school, I lace up my tennis shoes and get to work – I mean exercise. But on some days it feels like work!

About five years ago,I began doing the most impactful workout program which is the best home workout program that I have ever done. Trust me when I say, I have fallen prey to many a infomercial for exercise DVD’s over the years, only to discover that they were too mind-numbing, monotonous, silly or impossible to continue for more than two or three weeks.

But P90X is different, and I love it! My personal trainer (haha) Tony Horton is very motivating, and during the videos, he talks and encourages everyone throughout the workout.

On most days, I tune him out simply because I have heard his instructions dozens upon dozens of times. But one day as I was bending, jumping, lifting and sweating, Tony said something that caught my attention.

I have heard him say this statement countless times, but it never quite stuck in my mind like it did on this particular day.

Tony simply said “Information is power. With power there is change. And change is good.”

Of course, he is referring to knowing what exercise routines work best for us, and how that knowledge gives us the motivation and power to keep moving forward. But for some reason in that moment, it struck a chord with me, and I tucked it away in my mind.

Later that day, one of my daughters shared with me a challenging situation she was having with another girl at school. She not only felt bullied by this girl, but was frustrated that the girl seemed to break all the rules, disrespect the teachers, demean other students, and be dishonest with adults, yet never seemed to be held accountable for her actions. She was upset at the way she was being treated, and at the injustice of it all – but most of all, she was frustrated because she had no power to change anything.

I reassured her that those emotions are normal, when we see injustice or unfairness taking place around us, and especially if we feel like a victim of another persons unkindness. But in either case, we always have the power through faith to control our emotions, and our reactions.

As we talked, the comment I had heard on the exercise video immediately popped into my mind. It was as if God affirmed the reason that I had remembered that particular comment, on that particular day.

You see, my daughter needed information and motivation, so that she would feel empowered to deal with this situation. She needed to understand that she had the power within herself, through her faith, to deal with her emotions. She needed to be able to forgive that person even though they didn’t deserve it.

Through our discussion, I helped her see that by allowing her emotions to control her reactions, she was giving this other person power over her life – and her happiness.

She needed to be reminded that we cannot change other people, no matter how badly we wish we could, or how justified we are in our opinions. However, we do have God’s Word to guide us.

I prayed with my daughter when she went to bed that night. We prayed that the Lord would shower her heart with peace, grant her self control, and fill her with the ability to remember that He is still sitting on His throne, even when life seems unfair.

Just like my daughter, I have often wished I could change someone else or a situation beyond my control, knowing I did not have the power to do so. Yet, I always have the power through God, to change myself.

I cannot control another persons behavior, but I do have God’s power to help me change my reactions to their behaviors.

I cannot change another persons heart, but I do have God’s power to change my heart towards them.

I may not always have power to change a circumstance, but I do have power to face it in Christ.

And most importantly, I certainly do not want to grant power over my life to anyone, except my heavenly Father.

We have all the information we need in God’s Word to face difficult people and circumstances. We have the power of God available to us, if only we talk to Him and ask.

With power comes change; and whenever we are changing to become more like Christ, change is  good.