Emotions

Emotion...it is one of the things that makes us human. On any given day we can go through a range of emotions depending on what happens that day or depending on how we are treated that day. We can be happy because the tacos we just ordered are bussin' and it satisfied our stomach, or we can be agitated because the barista at Starbucks made our drink incorrectly. We can have joy because we have a house, a car, a good job and family to share it with, or we can be sad because we lost everything and everyone we cared about. It's okay to have emotions, but how are you responding to them? Let's talk... 

In my own life I am learning that I can have emotions. I can allow myself to feel those emotions. I'm also learning the importance of acknowledging those emotions. But what has freed me is that I realized I don't have to let my emotions dictate my actions. In fact, I don't have to let my emotions dictate my life. So though I may have a moment of sadness or grief, it doesn't mean I have to stay or live in that sadness or grief. Ephesians 4:26 from the New Living Translation says this, "And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry." Here, the Apostle Paul is teaching us that we should not let our anger, which is an emotion, lead us to sin. Well, I believe we can apply this concept to all of our emotions, not just anger. When you are sad, do not allow it you to lead you to alcohol or drugs. When you are worried or anxious, do not allow it to make you waist time sitting around playing possible scenarios in your head. When you are afraid, do not allow it to halt you from doing what you know God has told you to do. Even in your feelings of happiness, do not allow it to live life carelessly. Emotions are good and help us express ourselves, but we must be wise when dealing with our emotions. Otherwise, we leave the door open for the enemy to come in and mess with us. Apostle Paul tells us this in the same scripture and the following verse from The Passion Translation. It says, " But don’t let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don’t let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day. Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!" (Ephesians 4:26-27)

While I am not letting my emotions dictate my actions, I am also learning that I can surrender those emotions to God. When we surrender our emotions to God, we open up the opportunity for Him to comfort and heal us in them. "The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." (Psalms 34:17-18) He cares to love us through our emotions. His word tells us "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7)

So now that I've learned not to let my emotion dictate my life and to surrender those emotions to God, I am now coming to understand that emotions are not absolute. We have the ability to choose our emotions. Dictionary.com defines emotion as "an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness." and the word volitional means "done of one’s own will or choosing; deliberately decided or chosen." When I began to process this blog post, the Lord reminded of the story of Jesus and the disciples on the boat in the middle of a storm. (see Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 8:23-27). The wind and the waves were causing their boat to begin to fill with water, but Jesus was sleeping. In this moment the disciples chose to be afraid. They panicked and awoke Jesus saying "Lord, save us! we are perishing!" But Jesus responded to them saying "Why are you afraid? Where is your faith?". The Lord Jesus is showing us here that even in the middle of our storm, we can still choose faith over fear. To go even further, we can choose joy over sadness and peace over anxiety. The reason Jesus asked them why they were afraid is because He, their savior, was with them. So I can only imagine Jesus asks us the same question when we go through things and become afraid/sad/worried because He is with us in whatever we go through. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us this, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” But one thing I love is that Jesus always reassures us. On the boat, Jesus commanded the winds and the waves to cease. I don't know about you, but what this communicates to me is that even if we have a moment where we lack faith, we can still run to our Father who provides safety for us. "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:9)

So I challenge you today to push past your pain! Do the opposite of what your emotions are telling you to do! Choose joy, peace, faith... Surrender in the arms of our Lord and allow Him to heal every emotion!

Pray:

Father, thank you for your grace and mercy, Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to come to you with my cares and lay them at your feet. Today I surrender my emotions to you. If I am sad, Lord help me to find joy in your  for me. If I am angry, Lord help me to find consolation in your compassion towards me. If I am afraid, Lord help me to find confidence in your love for me. If I am happy, Lord help me to remain humble in my happiness. Father, thank you for helping me today. You are worthy of the praise, honor and glory. 

Amen.

Be blessed!

- Marly