Take a moment before you start your day
You are to love the Lord your God, with a passionate heart, from the depths of your soul, with your every thought, and with all your strength. This is the great and supreme commandment.” Mark 12:30 (TPT)
UNDERSTANDING MY EMOTIONS
∙ God has emotions.
∙ My ability to feel is a gift from God.
“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image…’” Genesis 1:26 (MSG)
∙ Two extremes to avoid:
Emotionalism: All that matters is how I feel.
Stoicism: Feelings are not important.
∙ God gave us the Psalms to understand our emotions.
WHY I MUST LEARN TO MANAGE MY EMOTIONS
BECAUSE my feelings are often unreliable.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
BECAUSE I don’t want to be manipulated.
“Like an open city with no defenses is the man with no check on his feelings.” Proverbs 25:28 (NAB)
“Curb every passion and be on the alert. Your great accuser, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion to see whom he can devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (MSG)
BECAUSE I want to succeed in life.
“[People] get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control.” Proverbs 5:23 (CEV)
“From now on you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.” 1 Peter 4:2 (TEV)
HOW TO MANAGE AN UNWANTED FEELING
Name it.
Ask: What am I really feeling?
Ask: What are my triggers?
Challenge it.
Ask: What’s the real reason I’m feeling this?
Ask: Is it true?
Ask: Is it helping me or hurting me?
“…Lord, cross examine me. Test my motives and my affections.” Psalm 26:2 (NLT)
“You can trust a friend who wounds you with his honesty…” Proverbs 27:6 (TPT)
Eliphaz asked Job: “Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash?” Job 15:12 (NIV)
Tame it.
∙ Everyday: Ask God to fill me with His Spirit.
“When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
∙ Everyday: Ask God to help me manage my mouth.
“Guard your words and you’ll guard your life, but if you don’t control your tongue, it will ruin everything.” Proverbs 13:3 (TPT)
“And so the tongue is a small part of the body yet it carries great power! Just think of how a small flame can set a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire!” James 3:5 (TPT) #lemon #lemonreaders #fyp #grwm #vineyardchurchnotes #peace #travelwithme #2024
Emotional awareness is vital for personal well-being and growth. Understanding emotions gives us insight into our behavior and mindset, allowing for better decision-making in daily life. Overwhelming feelings can cloud our judgment; thus, recognizing and regulating them is crucial. The Bible acknowledges the significance of emotions, portraying them as gifts from God. By studying biblical texts like the Psalms, we learn that emotions should not dominate us, but rather indicate what we need to address. Many find solace in the idea that God understands our feelings, as seen in verses from Mark and Genesis. To manage unwanted feelings, one must first identify and name them. Questions like, 'What am I truly feeling?' encourage introspection. It’s essential to recognize triggers that cause emotional reactions, thereby taking a proactive approach to emotional health. Challenging our feelings with questions such as ‘Is this feeling valid?’ can lead to clearer understanding and reduced anxiety. The Bible provides guidance to harness self-control, reminding us that feelings are not absolute truths. During moments of distress, praying for God's guidance and the presence of the Holy Spirit can transform our emotional landscape. Implementing daily practices, such as mindfulness and self-reflection, allows one to articulate feelings rather than suppress them. This results in positive interactions with others and decreased self-doubt. Furthermore, having a supportive community or trusted friends to converse about emotions fosters openness, creating a network of accountability for emotional health. Ultimately, mastering emotions can lead to achieving greater goals, enabling us to live at our fullest, free from the dictation of our fluctuating feelings.