Managing your emotions before they manage you

[Redeemed]

Feelings are much like waves, we can’t stop them from coming, but we can choose which one to surf.
Jonatan Mårtensson

I really like to read Paul and especially the book of Romans. That wasn't always the case the first time I read Romans 7:15 I thought the writings of Paul were very confusing. It's a lot different now.

I Want to Do What Is Right, but I Do What Is Wrong! (Paraphrase mine I've always wanted to say that)

We human beings are extremely complex. Our emotions are only one aspect of our being, but they are a very important one. Actually, it has been said that emotions are the Christian’s number one enemy because they can easily prevent us from following the will of God. I think emotions have been a mystery for most of us. Frequently, we simply don’t know why we feel the way we feel. We let emotions confuse us, and that often leads us to make decisions we later regret.

There may be a lot that we don’t understand about ourselves, but thank God we can learn. If you stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself, you see your body, but that is only the outer shell of who you really are. There is a lot that goes on inside us that cannot be seen with the naked eye. We have thoughts, feelings, imaginations, and desires that reside in a much deeper part of us than what we see in the mirror. The Bible refers to that part as “the hidden person of the heart”

Have you ever felt that there is a person living inside you who is quite different from the one you present to the world? I think we have all felt that way at times. I call it the old man vs the new man. I refer to my old man as "The jerk".

We often feel like a war is going on within us. One part of us (the new man) wants to do what we know to be right, and another part (the jerk) wants to do what is wrong. The wrong thing can feel right, while the right thing feels wrong. Remember that we cannot judge the moral value of any action by how we feel. Our feelings are unreliable and cannot be trusted to convey truth. Plus our feelings are subject to change but we can suffer the consequences of our actions for the rest of our lives.

We are first and foremost spiritual beings; we have a soul and we live in a body. We should pay more attention to the inner person because when we die, our spirits and souls are the parts of us that will live forever, but our bodies will simply decay.

Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; but let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3:3–4

This Scripture is not implying that it is wrong to try an look sharp. It is saying that if we pay excessive attention to how we look and ignore the hidden person of the heart, God is not pleased. It would be far better for us to work with the Holy Spirit to improve our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, imaginations, and consciences. If in the eyes of the world a woman is considered beautiful and well-dressed, but she is filled with anger, unforgiveness, guilt, shame, depression, and negative, hateful thoughts, then she is bankrupt spiritually and unattractive to God.

The child of God frequently finds that he wants to do right and wrong at the same time. Our renewed spirit craves holiness and righteousness, but the carnal (fleshly) soul still craves worldly things.

Remember Paul describes feeling the same way in Romans chapter 7: “I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns]”

Paul goes on in the same chapter to explain more of what we feel by saying that he has the intention and urge to do what is right, but he fails to carry it out. He fails to practice the good that he desires to do and instead does evil. Thankfully, by the end of the chapter, Paul has realized that only Christ can deliver him from the fleshly action, and as we continue to study his life, we learn that he developed an ability to say no to himself if what he wanted did not agree with God’s Word.

He learned to lean on God for strength and then use his will to choose what was right no matter how he felt. Paul said that he died daily, which meant that he died to his own fleshly desires in order to glorify God: “I die daily [I face death every day and die to self]” 1 Corinthians 15:31

 

[Bronson]

If someone has a long history of out-of-balance emotional behavior, they may have many issues they need to face, perhaps even long-standing problems that go as far back as childhood. Jesus gave us the first principle to remember concerning stable emotional health when He said, “You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free”. Found in John 8:32

Without confrontation of painful issues from the past, it is impossible to go forward with a healthy soul. This verse has always helped me.

For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4

I see a stronghold as an area in which we are held in bondage—any part of our lives in which Satan imprisons us. He does this by causing us to think a certain way—a way that is based on lies we have been told. As long as we believe things that are not true, we will remain imprisoned by those strongholds. To enjoy freedom, we must learn to use God’s mighty weapons.

Praise and prayer are great weapons that we can use in overcoming the power of the evil one. Praise helps us keep our minds on God, His power, and the good things that are taking place in our lives. It is proof that we believe He can and will help us.

True prayer reflects our relationship with God and shows that we depend on Him. We are His children, and He is our Father. When we pray, we open the door for God’s help. We ask Him to free our minds and give us victory over Satan’s strongholds.

 

[praise_yeshua]

Well said @Redeemed

Christians shouldn't fear feelings. In fact, I believe emotions and feelings are what connects "us" to our intellect. We feel words. We feel information that builds knowledge. The balance between knowledge and emotions is essential to our well being.

If I asked any of you Christians in the forum how they discern the Spirit of God in your life, you would have to admit that you discern God through peace and comfort. There is no way we can recognizing this blessing without emotions that overwhelms our natural senses. We feel in our very souls. If we can't emotional connect to our faith, then how can our faith be alive?

Even recognition of what we emotionally know to be wrong is proof of a meaningful connection to God.
Even the Scriptures confirm what the Spirit of God already knows through our emotions. We connect with Scripture that Paul wrote because we share in his emotional connection with the Gospel.

 

[Frank Russell]

The impulses of the flesh are seeded in the experience of the physical body we're in.

Thus dying daily is simply not enough.

Managing the constant flow of dark emotions is very .. parables.

Meaning, the solution needs to be cultivated like a garden.

Weeds will keep growing, but what will you and God do together about that?

 

[Bronson]

Well said @Redeemed

Christians shouldn't fear feelings. In fact, I believe emotions and feelings are what connects "us" to our intellect. We feel words. We feel information that builds knowledge. The balance between knowledge and emotions is essential to our well being.

If I asked any of you Christians in the forum how they discern the Spirit of God in your life, you would have to admit that you discern God through peace and comfort. There is no way we can recognizing this blessing without emotions that overwhelms our natural senses. We feel in our very souls. If we can't emotional connect to our faith, then how can our faith be alive?

Even recognition of what we emotionally know to be wrong is proof of a meaningful connection to God.
Even the Scriptures confirm what the Spirit of God already knows through our emotions. We connect with Scripture that Paul wrote because we share in his emotional connection with the Gospel.

Excellent post! It makes me think of Jesus. He definitely had emotions. Like when he turned the tables of the money changers over in the temple.
Or when he wept over Jerusalem. Even on the cross he was concerned about his executioners when he said ""Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"

Compassion was one of the emotion Jesus displayed like when he fed the 5000.

There are also emotions that Jesus didn't display. He didn’t really seem afraid. He didn’t feel ashamed. Although the most common reaction of people to Jesus seemed to be of awe , “amazed,” “astonished,” “trembling and bewildered”, Jesus himself had it all together and is never described as being in awe.

Emotions are reactions to things happening around us; or to us. And since we're being transformed into the image of Christ I pray we react to our emotions the way Jesus did. Except we might want to leave the money changers alone or we may end up doing Prison ministry.

 

[praise_yeshua]

The impulses of the flesh are seeded in the experience of the physical body we're in.

Thus dying daily is simply not enough.

Managing the constant flow of dark emotions is very .. parables.

Meaning, the solution needs to be cultivated like a garden.

Weeds will keep growing, but what will you and God do together about that?

There is no doubt we must deal with bad emotions. However, to combat such emotions, God gives us peace. God gives us comfort. God gives joy (which is our strength).

Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

 

[civic]

God is " emotional" Jesus wept and the Holy Spirit can be grieved and we know that God is love- that is relational and emotional be definition. There can be no emotions, love or relationship in isolation. If God were solitary ( One Person ) He could not be love for He could not be in relationship. Because God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit we find He is love, relational and emotional.

 

[Jeff]

I Think Jesus liked to have a good time when he was here and liked to see people have a good time also. See The Wedding at Cana

The picture of Jesus that we find in the Gospels is one of a well-rounded, magnetic personality. He carried children in His arms—and what child wants to be around someone who never laughs (Mark 10:16)? He was accused of being too joyful on occasion (Luke 7:34). He told John’s disciples that it was not a time for mourning (Matthew 9:15).

The very fact that we humans have a sense of humor indicates that God does, too, for we are made in His image. (The existence of penguins, platypuses, and puppies also builds a strong case for God’s having a sense of humor!) Jesus, as the Son of God, shares the Father’s attributes, including a sense of humor.

As the Son of Man, Jesus shares in the full human experience. We cannot imagine life without laughter; even those in dire circumstances have known seasons of joy. Everyone laughs and appreciates good humor. To say that Jesus never expressed joy through laughter is akin to denying His full humanity.

Jesus evinced a sense of humor in His teaching. Jesus’ discussion of the “log” in one’s eye is a purposeful exaggeration—and a lighthearted one at that (Matthew 7:3–5) Also, the incongruous image of a camel going through the eye of a needle contains humor (Matthew 19:24).

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