Managing Your Emotions

[Julie]

DAY 58

Speak Well of Others

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
James 4:11

People who feel insecure often judge and criticize others in order to feel better about themselves. In Matthew 7:1–2, Jesus warns us against judging others: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

The temptation to judge others is common. It’s easier to find things to criticize about other people than things to affirm them. Some people immediately spot the one negative thing about a situation, no matter how many positive aspects there are. This is typical of human nature but not in agreement with God’s Word. So when we are tempted to judge, we need to resist the devil and ask the Holy Spirit to help us stand against temptation and obey the Word.

In addition to what we read about judgment in today’s scripture and in Matthew 7:1–2, the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 14:10–13 that all of us will one day stand before God’s judgment seat: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister” (v. 13, italics mine).

Instead of judging other people, let’s choose not to do anything that might cause them to stumble or pose a problem for them as they go through life. Let’s help them or teach them by being a good example instead of criticizing them.


Prayer: Help me, Lord, to affirm others and do good to them instead of judging them.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World, a 90 Day Devotional

 

[praise_yeshua]

DAY 58

Speak Well of Others

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
James 4:11

People who feel insecure often judge and criticize others in order to feel better about themselves. In Matthew 7:1–2, Jesus warns us against judging others: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

The temptation to judge others is common. It’s easier to find things to criticize about other people than things to affirm them. Some people immediately spot the one negative thing about a situation, no matter how many positive aspects there are. This is typical of human nature but not in agreement with God’s Word. So when we are tempted to judge, we need to resist the devil and ask the Holy Spirit to help us stand against temptation and obey the Word.

In addition to what we read about judgment in today’s scripture and in Matthew 7:1–2, the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 14:10–13 that all of us will one day stand before God’s judgment seat: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister” (v. 13, italics mine).

Instead of judging other people, let’s choose not to do anything that might cause them to stumble or pose a problem for them as they go through life. Let’s help them or teach them by being a good example instead of criticizing them.


Prayer: Help me, Lord, to affirm others and do good to them instead of judging them.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World, a 90 Day Devotional

There was once was a prescription for dealing with disagreements among the body of Christ....

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

The smallest things can be settled among the "Church". Most people hide from the body of believers. I first referenced these verses to a pastor about a disputex doctrine when I very young man. I was told by that same elder that he couldn't allow it because it would "break up the church".

Same thing happens all the time. People hide from disputes instead of dealing with them. If they were dealt with, they would go away.....

The church was established to judge believers. Now.... all we have are the disputes of "local churches" that are divided all claiming authority they don't have....

I tell you what would be wonderful....

A business CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, and OWNERS would actually consult the "Church" before making decisions that affect others they don't care about......

Maybe a "pastor" consulting the "church" before hiding behind their "appointed board members" called the "deacons" doing anything....

That might be prudent choices to make.

Everyone is hiding from making judgements that need to be made.... Waiting to we face God will be entirely too late.

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

 

[Julie]

DAY 59

Remember God’s Faithfulness

You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
Psalm 119:114


Fear and anxiety can come against us for a variety of reasons, and sometimes we must fight hard to break free from them. The best way to do this is to seek help in God’s Word. It has all the power we need and all the answers we seek.

More than thirty years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was shocked because I had gone to the doctor for my regular checkup, which included a mammogram, and expected everything to be fine. When it wasn’t, I became anxious and fearful.
One way God led me through this season was to impress upon my heart the need to stay positive and to make only positive comments based on His Word, such as “God loves me,” “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose,” “God is good,” and “God, I trust You!”

I did this for about ten days before the surgery, and they were ten challenging days. Fear and worry would come, and I would purposefully call to mind that God had promised to take care of me. I would then declare the positive statements God had placed on my heart, and I could literally feel my emotions calming down.

In the end, the surgery was successful, and I’ve had clear mammograms ever since.
If you are struggling with fear today, look to God’s Word and find peace. His Word has the power to bring peace to anxious emotions and to strengthen you in any situation.


Prayer: When I am anxious and afraid, Lord, strengthen me and give me peace through Your Word.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World, a 90 Day Devotional

 

[Julie]

DAY 60

Make Up Your Mind in Advance

The Lord is good, a strength and stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows [He recognizes, cares for, and understands fully] those who take refuge and trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7 AMP

Today’s scripture speaks of “the day of trouble.” All of us face times of trouble in our lives, and we are wise to decide ahead of time what we will do when they come. Let me encourage you to make up your mind to be emotionally stable before trouble ever comes. Ask God to help you in advance of difficulty, to keep you from excessive highs and lows, and to give you grace to remain calm and steadfast. Decide that you will stand in faith, remain thankful for what God is doing in your life, and trust Him, no matter what happens. When difficulties arise, keep praising Him, and don’t ever give up or slide into an emotional pit.

We should not be surprised when we face difficulties. Jesus says that in the world we will have trouble (John 16:33), but we know that He will also strengthen us and enable us to do whatever we need to do in life (Philippians 4:13). God is our strength, our refuge, and, as today’s verse states, our “stronghold in the day of trouble.”

God knows those who trust Him, and He has a plan for our deliverance before our trouble ever starts. Romans 8:37 teaches us that we are more than conquerors through Christ, who loves us. And I believe one way to explain this verse is to say, “In Christ, we have won the battle before it ever begins.” Therefore, we have no reason to be afraid of anything that comes our way. We can simply decide in advance that when trouble comes, we will stand strong in God and trust Him.

Prayer: God, with Your help, I choose to make up my mind today that when trouble comes, I will remain emotionally stable, trusting in You.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World, a 90 Day Devotional

 

[Julie]

Don’t Let Other People’s Opinions Affect Your Emotions

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5 AMP


In today’s scripture, God tells Jeremiah that He knew him and approved of him before he was formed in his mother’s womb. When God said He “knew” Jeremiah, He was not speaking of a casual acquaintance, but of the most intimate knowledge possible. God knows us the same way. He knows everything about us, even things we will never discover about ourselves. This knowing encompasses everything about us, whether we view it as positive or negative, as a strength or a weakness. He knows every mistake we will ever make—and He loves us and approves of us anyway.

God does not always approve of our behavior and choices, but He does approve of us. He clearly sees the difference between who we are and what we do. He loves our “who” even when our “do” isn’t pleasing to Him. We all want other people to like us and approve of us. The way they feel about us often affects us emotionally. When they like us, we feel happy and good about ourselves. When they don’t, we feel bad about ourselves. Our desire for approval can only be truly met by receiving God’s acceptance and approval of us.

It’s important for us to strive to be God-pleasers, not people-pleasers. We tend to pay too much attention to how people respond to us, when instead we should be grateful that God knows us completely and approves of us unconditionally. We find our deepest security in Him and in what He thinks. As we walk in that, we can withstand the disapproval of other people and continue to love them in spite of it.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to allow what other people think of me to affect my emotions. Help me seek to please You above all else.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World, a 90 Day Devotional

 

[Julie]

DAY 62

Help Is Here

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 14:26 NKJV


You and I can make or break all sorts of habits in our lives. We have physical habits, such as exercise and getting enough sleep. We have financial habits. We have social habits. And we have emotional habits. Many times, habits are based in our emotions, but they manifest in other realms. For example, emotional eating is a habit, and some people struggle with it greatly. When our emotions are intense—perhaps we are sad, frustrated, or frightened—we turn to food, typically “comfort food” rather than healthy, nutritious food. The cycle of emotional eating can be very difficult to break, and that can cause discouragement that leads to even more emotional eating.

When we try to break a habit such as emotional eating, we often find ourselves crying out to God, “Lord, help me, help me!” It is so wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit is always with us to help us all the time.

If you struggle with emotional eating, when you’re tempted to overeat or to snack too much, you can pray silently, “Holy Spirit, help me not to overeat.” In a restaurant where everybody at your table is ordering dessert, and you feel yourself start to waver, you can cry out in your heart, Holy Spirit, help me, help me!

I have found that if I depend on my own strength through sheer willpower or determination alone, I will fail every time. But if I am determined to resist temptation by calling on the power of the Holy Spirit, I find the strength I need to succeed—and you will too.

Prayer: Thank You, Holy Spirit, for being my Helper. Help me break the habit of emotional eating and any other habits that are not good for me.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World, a 90 Day Devotional

 

[Julie]

DAY 63

God Heals in Every Way

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor… to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah 61:1–3

God can heal us everywhere we hurt. When we think of healing, we often view it as physical. But God wants to heal us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually too. For a long time, I didn’t know this, and my lack of knowledge caused me to live a dysfunctional life. Abuse and rejection had left me emotionally wounded until I discovered that God wants to give us “the oil of joy instead of mourning” and “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

When we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, a great exchange takes place in the spiritual realm. Our sin-filled, hopeless lives are swallowed up in His goodness, mercy, and grace. He gives us everything He has and is—and we are supposed to give Him not only everything we are but even what we are not. He takes our weakness and gives us His strength. He takes our sickness and gives us His health and healing. We give Him our sin, and He gives us His righteousness. He will give us joy instead of mourning, as long as we are willing to give up our sadness.

No matter what you have been through in the past or how much healing you may presently need, I believe it’s time for you to enjoy God’s favor. God wants you to enjoy yourself and your life. He wants to heal you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, financially, and socially. I encourage you not to close off any part of your life to His healing touch. Invite Jesus into every area and ask Him to make you whole.

Prayer: God, I invite You today to heal me everywhere I hurt.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

DAY 64

The Cure for Insecurity

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

People who struggle with insecurity are self-focused and excessively concerned about what other people think of them. They cannot develop good relationships because they stay busy trying to impress other people instead of being good friends to them. Their insecurities cause them to be fearful, and their fears cause them to shrink back from opportunities that could add joy and fulfillment to their lives.

The cure for insecurity is receiving the love of God. It is like a healing ointment that heals the soul (inner life), and I think it’s the only thing that can do that. Everybody wants to be loved, but we often look for love in the wrong places while ignoring God’s love, which is being poured out on us all the time (Romans 5:5).

As Christians we may hear often that God loves us, but do we truly believe this? Do we understand the amazing power of His love? Reading or hearing a truth and processing it with our minds is much different from hearing with our hearts and actually believing and receiving it.

It’s important to believe that God loves us because of who He is, not because of anything we have or haven’t done. We cannot earn or deserve God’s love. We know this because, according to today’s scripture, He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us “while we were still sinners.” When we believe this, insecurities are replaced with confidence—not in who we are or what we do, but in who God is and in what He has done to demonstrate His love for us.

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to remember and focus on how much You love me, knowing that Your love heals my insecurities.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions: Daily Wisdom for Remaining Stable in an Unstable World

 

[Julie]

DAY 65


God Is with You

Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the Lord your God goes with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

Like many people, I spent years trying to eliminate the feeling of fear in my life. I never saw it for what it was—a feeling or an emotion based on ungodly thinking. When I looked at my problems or potential problems, I saw them without seeing God.

Throughout Scripture, God said in several different ways, “Fear not, for I am with you.” He said it to Joshua and to many others (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; Mark 6:50; Revelation 1:17). The only reason I can find in God’s Word for us not to fear is simply that God is with us. The name Immanuel, a name for Jesus, actually means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

No matter what happens in our lives, God is greater, and He is with us. We may not know what He will do to help us, or when He will do it, but knowing He is with us should be enough. He is for us, not against us. And if God is for us, it doesn’t matter who is against us (Romans 8:31), because God is greater than anyone or anything (1 John 4:4).

I mistakenly thought that as long as I felt fear, I could not do what I wanted to do or felt I should do. I was wasting my life waiting for fear to go away. I prayed diligently for God to take away the fear, but that didn’t happen. Instead of praying to be without fear, I should have been asking God to give me the courage to go forward in the presence of fear, knowing that He is always with me.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You are with me. Because You never leave me, I can move forward even when I feel afraid.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

DAY 67

Let Yourself Cry


The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night… pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.
Lamentations 2:18–19


One way we express intense emotion is through tears. Sometimes we cry happy tears, sometimes tears come from sadness, and sometimes we cry because we’re frustrated or afraid. It’s okay to cry. In fact, tears are good for us.

Respected biochemist William Frey conducted a fifteen-year study on tears. It revealed that tears shed for emotional reasons have a different chemical makeup than tears caused by irritants, such as chemicals or onions. Emotional tears contain toxins from the body that tears shed for other reasons do not contain. Frey and his team concluded that the chemicals built up in the body during times of stress are removed from the body in tears shed because of emotion. In addition, emotional tears contain high quantities of a hormone that indicates stress. Holding back emotional tears actually contributes to physical diseases that are aggravated by stress.

It’s also interesting to note that only human beings produce tears as a result of emotion. Other animal species produce tears to lubricate their eyes, but only people cry because they are joyful, hurt, upset, or sad.
A friend whose beloved spouse died unexpectedly once told me that every time she wept over his death, she felt a palpable emotional and physical release. She also said that every time she allowed herself to weep, she told herself she was one good cry closer to healing.

The next time an emotion builds up in you to the point that you realize you need a good cry, go ahead and release the tears. They’ll take you one step closer to healing.

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to let myself cry when I need to, knowing that it’s good for me and is part of the healing process.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions