Managing Your Emotions

[TOTHALORDBEALLGLORY]

You are dearly loved sister .
Out of great love i must tell you something . Its better we learn our bibles well and be refreshed also in
the reading of the bible daily . I am afraid i have rather alerting news for you . I would not follow joyce meyers .
DO not see this as an attack or being mean . Its better we learn the scrips well for ourselves dear sister .

 

[Julie]

You are dearly loved sister .
Out of great love i must tell you something . Its better we learn our bibles well and be refreshed also in
the reading of the bible daily . I am afraid i have rather alerting news for you . I would not follow joyce meyers .
DO not see this as an attack or being mean . Its better we learn the scrips well for ourselves dear sister .

You can do both.
Also:
27 You are all a part of the body of Christ. 28 God has chosen different ones in the church to do His work. First, there are missionaries. Second, there are preachers or those who speak for God. And third, there are teachers. He has also chosen those who do powerful works and those who have the gifts of healing. 1 Corinthians 12:27

 

[Julie]

DAY 13
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]

DAY 14
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 Emotions3), 28–29.

 

[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]

Do You Feel Condemned or Convicted?

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5


Sometimes we feel bad about something we have done, and we are not sure whether we feel condemnation or the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Feelings of condemnation are not from God. He sent Jesus to die for us to pay the price for our sins. According to today’s scripture and many other Bible passages, Jesus bore our sin and the guilty condemnation that accompanies sin. We should get rid of the sin and not keep the guilt. Once God breaks the yoke (or the power) of sin from us, He removes the guilt too. When we confess our sin to Him, He is faithful and just and forgives all of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

How does condemnation differ from conviction? Let me explain conviction this way: We need forgiveness every day of our lives. When we sin, the Holy Spirit sets off the alarm, so to speak, in our conscience so we can recognize that we have sinned. He also gives us the power of the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin and keep us right before Him. This process is called “conviction,” and it is of the Lord, while condemnation is from the enemy and only makes us feel miserable and guilty.

When we are convicted of sin, we may feel grouchy while God is dealing with us. Until we admit our sin, become ready to turn from it, and ask for forgiveness, we feel pressure on the inside, and it often brings out the worst in us. As soon as we come into agreement with God, our peace returns and our behavior improves.


Prayer: Thank You, God, for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Help me always to repent and receive Your forgiveness when I feel convicted so I will be able to move forward in peace.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

A New Way of Living


Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP


According to today’s scripture, when we place our faith in Jesus, the way we once were passes away, and we have all the equipment we need for a brand-new way of living. God gives us the ability to think and act in ways that please Him, and He offers to help us. But we aren’t puppets, and He won’t manipulate us. We must choose spirit over flesh and right over wrong. When we become new on the inside, we can choose to allow our renewed inner being to influence what we think, say, and do on the outside.

Biblical writers often use the term the flesh when referring to a combination of the body, mind, emotions, and will. In Scripture, the word carnal often is used to describe people who live by the flesh, which some Christians do. Carnal Christians believe in God and have received Jesus as their Savior, but their lives appear to revolve largely around themselves, the desires of their flesh, and the impulses of their emotions.

But feelings are often unreliable and untrustworthy when making decisions. It’s nice to have feelings to support us when we make choices, but we can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and obey God with or without the fuel of feelings. You may have a habit of following your feelings in order to stay happy and comfortable, but you can also form new habits. Develop the habit of enjoying good emotions without letting them influence your decisions in negative ways.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Keep Your Hopes Up

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23

One way to manage the negative emotions of discouragement and despair, which we all feel at times, is to follow the advice of today’s scripture and “hold unswervingly” to the hope we have in Christ. We hear the word hope often in secular settings, but godly hope has a different quality than worldly hope. Many times, when people say they hope something will or will not happen, they are vaguely hoping, but clearly doubting.

They speak negatively about their circumstances and then wonder why things don’t go well for them. True biblical hope is a solid foundation, a springboard for our faith to take off from and actually take hold of the promises of God. When we have godly hope, we speak and think positively, not negatively.

This may sound simple, but I believe real hope is a constant positive attitude that says No matter what is happening currently, things will change for the better. Satan cannot defeat a person who refuses to stop hoping in God. Hope is powerful. It opens the door for the impossible to become possible. All things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26), but we must cooperate with Him by staying hopeful and full of faith.

Being hopeless does no good. It only makes us unhappy, critical, and grouchy. Hopelessness leads to depression and many other problems. But because we belong to God and, as today’s verse reminds us, He is faithful, we can choose to be hopeful in every situation. Be the kind of person who refuses to be negative, and believe things will get better.


Prayer: God, I believe and declare that You are faithful, and I choose today to hope unswervingly in You.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Making Wise Choices

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Romans 7:15


Have you ever said or done something in a moment of intense emotion and then said, “I can’t believe that I just behaved that way”? Have you ever felt shocked or perhaps embarrassed about your words or actions? We’ve all had this experience. Even the apostle Paul, who wrote today’s scripture, struggled to do the things he knew he should do and not do the things he shouldn’t.

Without God’s help we have difficulty doing things in moderation. We may eat too much, spend too much, entertain ourselves too much, or say too much. When we give in to excess, we feel like doing something so we do it, giving no thought to the consequences. Later, we regret it.

We don’t have to live in regret. The Holy Spirit enables us to make wise choices. He urges us, guides us, and leads us, but we still have to cast the deciding vote. If you have been casting an unhealthy or foolish vote, all you need to do is change it. Make a decision not to do what you feel like doing unless it agrees with God’s will.

Wise choices have nothing to do with feelings. You do not have to feel a certain way to choose to make good decisions. Making wise choices isn’t always easy, but it is much better than suffering the consequences of a foolish decision. Even when something is not easy, through Christ we can choose to have a positive attitude because we know we are using wisdom in our lives.

Prayer: Help me, God, to follow Your Holy Spirit and make wise choices.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[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

 

[Julie]

Be Happy with What You Have


You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey,
or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus 20:17

When you read today’s scripture, you may think, “My neighbor doesn’t have an ox or a donkey!” But the point of this verse, which is one of the Ten Commandments, is not as much about oxen or donkeys as it is about being happy with what we have instead of jealous of what others have.
Jealousy is a dangerous emotion. It makes us miserable on the inside and can do great damage to our relationships with the people around us. It can also have a negative impact on our health as well as on our relationship with God.

When we are jealous of others because of what they own—their houses, cars, jewelry, clothes, or other possessions—it is usually because we are unhappy with what we have (or don’t have). For example, someone who speaks badly of a person’s nice new car—commenting that it’s too expensive or that the owner must be frivolous or foolish—may really be saying, “I’m not happy with my car. I want your car.” The same can happen with houses, clothes, and talents other people have as well as other areas of life.

Have you ever heard about a blessing someone else received and thought, When is that going to happen to me? Instead of being unhappy or jealous when God blesses someone with something you would like to have, you can train your mind and emotions to be happy for them. You can let their blessing be an encouragement to you, believing that what God did for someone else, He can also do for you.

Prayer: Next time I am tempted to be jealous, Lord, remind me to be encouraged by the ways You bless other people, knowing that You will also bless me in the way that is best for me, according to Your perfect timing.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions /50

 

[Julie]

DAY 52

Get Out of the Pit


I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:1–2

Anytime I read about a pit in Scripture, I think of the depths of depression. Throughout the psalms that David wrote, he referred to emotional lows as being in a pit. When he found himself in such circumstances, he always cried out to the Lord to rescue him and set his feet on solid, level ground. The Lord was faithful to help him.

Like David, nobody wants to be in the pit of depression. It is an emotionally difficult place that feels hopeless. When we are deeply depressed, we feel bad enough as it is. Then the devil brings thoughts of every negative thing imaginable to make the misery worse. He reminds us of our disappointments and tries to make us believe that nothing good will ever happen to us. His goal is to keep us so miserable and hopeless that we will not be able to cause him any problems or fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

According to Romans 14:17, God wants us to experience “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” so we know He does not want us stuck in depression. As today’s scripture says, the pit of depression is a slimy place, and slimy places are difficult to climb out of without help. The Holy Spirit is our Helper (John 14:26 AMP). When we cry out to God, He pulls our emotions out of the pit, sets us on a rock, and gives us a firm place to stand so we can be emotionally stable.


Prayer: Holy Spirit, when I feel like I’m in a pit, help me. Set my feet on a rock and give me a firm place to stand.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

DAY 53

Jesus Understands How You Feel

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 4:15

Today’s scripture speaks of our “high priest,” and this refers to Jesus. He experienced every emotion and suffered every feeling you and I do, yet without sinning. Why didn’t He sin? Because He didn’t give in to ungodly feelings. He knew God’s Word in every area of life because He spent years studying it before He began His ministry.

Luke 2:40 says that as a child, Jesus “grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” By the time He was twelve years old, He thought He was old enough to go to the temple in Jerusalem and be about His Father’s business (Luke 2:41–52). But He still had years of learning before He entered His full-time ministry.

You and I will never be able to say no to our feelings if we don’t have within us a strong knowledge of God’s Word. Jesus felt the same feelings we feel, but He never sinned by giving in to them.

When I feel hurt, angry, or upset, it’s such a comfort to me to be able to go to God and say, “Jesus, I’m so glad You understand what I’m feeling right now and that You don’t condemn me for it. Help me, Lord, to manage my emotions and not feel condemned, thinking I shouldn’t feel this way.”

Because we’re human, we have emotions. Sometimes they are intense. But we can be honest with God about them, knowing Jesus understands how we feel, and we can ask for and receive His help to manage them in a godly way.


Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to become human and to understand the emotions I feel. Help me manage my emotions in ways that please You.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

Keep Your Love Warm


And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24:12 NKJV


Today’s scripture comes from a passage in which Jesus is talking about signs of the end times. Some may be familiar to us, such as “wars and rumors of wars… famines, pestilences, and earthquakes” (Matthew 24:6–7 NKJV). But He also says that “the love of many will grow cold” (v. 12 NKJV) because of lawlessness and wickedness on earth.

The pressures of rampant evil, difficult circumstances, and frightening situations and the stress of living under such tumult produce an atmosphere charged with strife and trouble. This causes us to turn inward, trying to protect ourselves and solve the problems that affect us. It also makes it easy to allow ourselves to become hard-hearted and ignore Jesus’ instruction to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

When love grows cold, negative emotions take over. We become angry, resentful, jealous, suspicious, fearful, and susceptible to other negative feelings. We become self-focused rather than focused on how we can help the people around us.
In many verses of Scripture, we read that we are to love other people. Loving one another is one way the world will know we are Christians (John 13:35).

In the midst of a wicked and stressful world, let’s be sure to keep our love relationship with God strong. That will not only help us, but it will also empower us to keep our hearts tender and our love warm for others. When love is warm, we feel peace and joy, and we can share that peace and joy with others. This is what the world needs.


Prayer: Lord, no matter what happens in the world around me, help me keep my heart from growing cold and help me stay stirred up in my love for others.


Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

DAY 54

Be Slow to Anger

Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger dwells in the heart of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 AMP

Have you ever known someone of quick temper, whose default response to many situations was anger? I believe people who rush to anger lack the discipline of self-control. We can’t develop into emotionally stable, mature, victorious Christians if we don’t learn to exercise self-control by managing our emotions, especially the emotion of anger.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 is only one of many Bible verses about anger. Another is James 1:19–20: “Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]” (AMP).

Notice that the “anger of man does not produce” righteousness. Part of righteousness (being what God wants us to be) is fulfilling His purpose and plan for our lives and living up to our potential. We cannot do this without learning to restrain our anger.

We all want to fulfill our potential and do all God calls us to do, but we don’t always want to operate within the boundaries of self-control. If we really want to grow spiritually, we must discipline our passions. This doesn’t mean we have to be perfect or can never make mistakes. Although the Holy Spirit will give us power to control our emotions, we may still lose our temper at times. But as soon as we do, we should immediately confess it, repent, receive God’s forgiveness, and move forward.

Prayer: When I feel angry, Lord, help me slow down and remember to ask You to help me control my emotions.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

DAY 55

One Day at a Time

This is what the Lord has commanded: “Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.”
Exodus 16:16

Many people find it a challenge to manage their emotions when it comes to thinking about the future. So much about the future is uncertain, and that can cause people to feel uneasy, anxious, or even afraid. When we think about our unanswered questions and concerns about the future, we can find comfort in the fact that God provided daily manna for the Israelites to eat as they journeyed through the wilderness.

God intentionally gave the Israelites just the right amount of food each day (except on the Sabbath, when He provided double on the previous day) and told them to try not to hoard it or take more than they needed. If they took more than they could use in their households, it rotted and stunk (Exodus 16:20).

In giving the people only what they needed, God was training them to trust Him. By teaching them to rely on Him one day at a time, He was building their faith. Once they realized He’d send provision each day, they began to see Him as faithful and to know they could trust Him.

When we worry about tomorrow, we waste today. Maybe you’re concerned about something in the future. Perhaps it’s a specific situation like a big expense coming due, a doctor’s appointment, or a move to a new city. Or maybe you just feel anxious about the future in general. Whatever it is, remember to take one day at a time, knowing that God will give you exactly what you need when you need it. It may not come early, but it won’t be late.

Prayer: Help me, Lord, not to allow concerns about the future to make me anxious. Help me choose to trust You one day at a time

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions

 

[Julie]

DAY 56

Want to Feel Fulfilled?


Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
Matthew 25:14–15


Today’s scripture is part of a story Jesus told about a man who was going on a journey and what he did for his servants before he left. Notice that he entrusted his resources to them “each according to his ability.” It is important to realize that we don’t all have the same abilities, skills, strengths, or talents. None of us can do everything well, but we can do to the best of our ability what God has gifted and called us to do.

Many people are frustrated and dissatisfied in life because they don’t feel fulfilled. For various reasons, they are not doing all they know they should be doing, and they feel dissatisfied and discontent. These emotions are not healthy, and they lead to other unhealthy emotions, such as resentment and jealousy toward the people who do feel fulfilled in life.

One of the servants in the story found in Matthew 25 hid his money in the ground because he was afraid. Similarly, sometimes we do not use the abilities God has given us because we are afraid. We may fear failure or loss or being criticized or misunderstood.
Don’t be afraid or hesitant to take the abilities God has given you and use them for His glory. If you don’t know how to begin or what to do, simply ask Him to help you. He wants you to “have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]” (John 10:10 AMP), feeling satisfied and fulfilled each day.


Prayer: Show me, Lord, what to do with the abilities You’ve given me, and lead me into fulfillment and satisfaction.

Joyce Meyer, Managing Your Emotions