Managing Your Emotions

[Julie]

God Restores the Soul

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1–3 NKJV


Today’s scripture reminds us that the Lord is our shepherd. This means He watches over us and leads us to where we should go. Because He cares for us as a shepherd cares for his sheep, He provides everything we need. This doesn’t mean we get to have every single thing we want or that we don’t lack anything we desire. It means that all our needs are met. We lack nothing we truly need.

The Lord, as our shepherd, makes us “lie down in green pastures” and leads us “beside the still waters.” This is the place where we can finally stop running from the pain of the past and decide to face it—to receive the emotional healing and spiritual and emotional rest God offers us.

God is not only a shepherd and a healer; He’s also a restorer. He promises to restore our souls. The soul is comprised of the mind, the will, and the emotions. He will heal and restore all that is wounded, sick, or broken in our souls if we ask for His help and cooperate with His healing process in our lives. When we spend time with God in His Word and in His presence, we learn that He offers us a new life, one filled with wholeness.

When the soul is healthy and restored, we experience joy and peace, and everything in life goes better for us. Please be encouraged that you will be restored if you invite God into the wounded places in your soul.


Prayer: Thank You, God, for being my shepherd, my healer, and my restorer. In You, I have everything I need. Restore my soul today, I pray.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Complete]

Hello @Julie,

I believe that the soul comprises the whole (living) person, (i.e., body, soul and spirit).

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Julie]

Hello @Julie,

I believe that the soul comprises the whole (living) person, (i.e., body, soul and spirit).

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Interesting you should comment on this as I'm actually studying it out right now. I will post where I am learning about it.

 

[Julie]

Hello @Julie,

I believe that the soul comprises the whole (living) person, (i.e., body, soul and spirit).

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

You have it right!

The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that we were all created with three parts—a spirit, a soul, and a body:

“And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us, “The God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly.” He sanctifies us by spreading into and saturating our whole being, starting from our spirit, continuing into our soul, and eventually including our body. By being wholly filled with God in every part of our being, God can be expressed through us.

 

[Julie]

Take Care of Yourself

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
3 John 2

Sometimes we experience hardships, such as the loss of a loved one or betrayal of a close friend, that impact our life in devastating ways. I’ve discovered from my own experiences that when you are going through a prolonged season of deep painful emotions, especially grief, it is important to realize that you may need to do some things differently to manage the stress and intensity of your feelings. Taking care of yourself and your own needs will help you get through the situation in a healthy way.

Taking care of yourself means different things to different people. For some it may mean taking a few days of paid time off to take a break from a toxic work environment or scheduling a massage or manicure on a regular basis for a while. For others it may mean preparing healthy meals, exercising frequently, and getting enough sleep at night. Introverts may want to spend time reading a book, while extroverts may want to eat lunch with friends or go to a social event. It doesn’t matter what the people around you do to take care of themselves. You do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

Sometimes people feel guilty about taking care of themselves and making sure their needs are met. There is no reason to feel this way. Think of it as doing yourself a favor. Taking care of yourself will not only bless and help you; it will be a blessing to the people who care about you. Because if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else. Always remember during difficult times that good times are on their way.

Prayer: Lord, help me remember and find creative ways to take care of myself during times of stress and intense emotion.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Everything You Need

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4

Often, our emotions are upset because we want something and do not have it. When we can’t seem to get what we want, we can become frustrated, angry, sad, confused, fearful, and envious of those who do have it.

Let me ask you today, if you could ask for only one thing, what would it be? In today’s scripture, David’s “one thing” is God’s presence. More than anything else, David wanted to know God as He really is and to be with Him. When we sense His presence, all other desires fall into their proper place. In His presence we find perfect peace and “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11 AMP). Our emotions are stable, happy, and at rest when we are in God’s presence.

Unfortunately, we can get so distracted with the rush and pressure of the details of our lives that we neglect the most important thing—spending time in God’s presence—and instead chase things that are ultimately not important. How foolish we are to spend our lives seeking things that can’t satisfy while we ignore God, the “One Thing” who can give us great joy, peace, satisfaction, and contentment. We never know the joy of seeking the One we really need. An old saying attributed to Blaise Pascal basically says that in every person’s heart is a God-shaped vacuum or hole that God alone can fill. No matter what else we try to fill it with, we will remain empty and frustrated.

If you find your emotions on edge today because you want something you don’t have, take time to be in God’s presence. When you do, you’ll find everything you truly need.

Prayer: Lord, I repent for seeking things that don’t really matter. Help me to find everything I need as I spend time in Your presence.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Tell Your Emotions to Be Patient

He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5

God promised Abram (later Abraham) a son. Not only that, but He promised him descendants so numerous that they would be like the stars in the sky. The problem was that Abram and his wife, Sarai (later Sarah), were way too old to have natural children. As advanced in years as they were, we might think God’s promise needed to come to pass quickly. But it didn’t. Abram and Sarai had to wait twenty-five years for His promise to manifest in their lives.

We often have to wait for certain things God has promised to come to pass, just as Abram and Sarai did. Sometimes He may need to teach us or prepare us for the blessings He wants to release in our lives. Or it could be that we need additional spiritual growth, greater emotional stability, or a new mindset before we can handle them properly. While we wait, we may be tempted to feel impatient. We may doubt or feel frustrated because nothing seems to be happening.

During these seasons of waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled, we need to tell our emotions to calm down and wait patiently for Him to act on our behalf. Our emotions can help us wait peacefully, with joy and expectation, or they can keep us anxious and impatient.
God is always working for our good, even when we don’t see it. We need to trust His timing and wisdom, knowing He will fulfill His promises at the time that is best for us.

Prayer: Thank You, God, for the promises You’ve made to me. I trust You to fulfill them when the time is right. Help me to wait patiently and not let my emotions lead me into frustration.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Control What’s under Your Control

Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].
1 Corinthians 13:7 AMP


When I think about what stirs up our emotions, the hurtful things people do to us is at the top of the list, perhaps more frequently than anything else. Since we cannot control what others do, we need to look for ways to quiet our emotions when people upset us. The amplification of today’s scripture teaches us to look for the best in things, and I believe this applies to people as well as situations.

Our natural thoughts and emotions, without the influence of the Holy Spirit, can be negative. Romans 8:5 teaches us that we can either set our minds on what the flesh (human nature without God) desires or on what the Holy Spirit desires. If we set our minds on the flesh, we will be filled with negative feelings and attitudes. But if we set our minds on the Spirit, we will be filled with life and peace in our souls, which includes calm emotions. I encourage you to choose what creates peace, because a life of emotional turmoil makes us miserable.

I realized years ago that most of my emotional turmoil came from people problems. I knew from experience that I could not control people and what they decided to do, so I began to pray about what I could do to keep their words and actions from upsetting me. In answer to my prayers, and through studying God’s Word, I started obeying 1 Corinthians 13:7 by choosing to believe the best of everything and everyone.

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to control what I can control—my thoughts and emotions—while trusting You to handle what I can’t control.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Don’t Let Fear Push You Around

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13

Fear is everywhere, and everyone has to face it at some point. It’s afflicted humanity since the beginning of time, and it will be an emotion people deal with for as long as they live. Although fear will never totally disappear from our lives, we can manage it as we choose to face it and resist it with God’s help.

We would be surprised if we realized how often our reactions to people and situations are based on fear. We respond out of fear much more than we think. In fact, some people spend their entire lives allowing fear to dictate their decisions and reactions to circumstances. This keeps them from being who they truly want to be and causes them to feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled.

If you are one of these people, let me encourage you to acknowledge your fear, because it is a real emotion, but also to move forward in spite of it. Courageous people do what they believe in their hearts they should do, no matter how they feel or what kinds of doubts and fearful thoughts fill their minds.

Fear will try to stop you from doing what God has called you to do and what you’d like to do. Don’t allow fear to prevent you from living your life to the fullest or to push you around while you simply put up with it. Decide today—with God’s help—that you’ll face fear head-on, overcome it, and do everything you can to live the life He has planned for you, free from fear.

Prayer: Lord, when I feel fear, help me choose not to let it dictate my decisions or stop me from living the good life You want me to live.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Blessings Instead of Judgment

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
Matthew 7:1

Sometimes when we feel insecure, rejected by others, or inferior to them, we struggle to simply admit we feel left out, ignored, or somehow less than the people around us. Instead, we become critical or judgmental toward them. But this is not the way God wants us to handle our emotions or to treat people.

We should choose to focus on God’s love for us and to remember that He accepts us unconditionally (Ephesians 1:4–6). He calls us “the apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10) and says we are inscribed on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). The more secure we are in His love, the less we will feel critical or negative toward others. The greater our understanding of God’s love for us, which we could never deserve, the more we realize that God loves everyone the same. He doesn’t have favorites (Romans 2:11). If He loves people, we can choose to love them too and not judge them, with His help.

Notice in today’s scripture that Jesus not only tells us not to judge people but also explains why we should refrain from doing so. It’s for our own good. We aren’t to judge others so we won’t be judged. We do reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7), and if we sow criticism and judgment, we’ll find people criticizing and judging us. But if we sow love and blessing into other people, we’ll experience love and blessing too.

Next time you are tempted to criticize or judge someone for any reason, resist. Instead, choose to love and bless them.

Prayer: Lord, when I feel rejected or inferior to others, help me not to judge or criticize. Help me to love and bless everyone around me.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions