Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Understanding Our Emotions
16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:16-21 ESV).
As Christians, we all want to follow Jesus but often struggle to actually put it into practice. The day to day grind can lead us astray and put our focus on earthly desires. For example, Peter loved Jesus, but his focus was temporarily on himself and not God. Peter did not want Jesus to die and was rebuked by Jesus. ”Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns (Matthew 16:23).” Peter, a disciple of Jesus, was living in the flesh in this moment.
Paul identifies the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19 and they are often evident in our life when we are distant from God. In these circumstances, we are prone to anger, jealousy, and engage in divisions. In short, we tear each other down rather than build each other up. However, no
matter how much you tear somebody else down, it will never bring you up. Sexual immorality and alcohol will feed the flesh but ultimately leave us empty. In the flesh, we are jealous of our neighbor’s accomplishments and we seek out divisions based on race, religion, gender, etc. as means to attempt to comfort ourselves, but such actions will always fail us.
Our emotions are a gift from good and can provide us with many benefits. However, our emotions also have the potential to generate actions and words that divide us rather than unite us. When we feel hurt, angry, betrayed, or jealous, we should ask ourselves a few questions to better understand the situation.
“What’s the real reason I’m feeling this?” Maybe the answer is an unresolved past event. Maybe it relates to something a family member or friend member said or did to you years ago. When someone else says something similar, and even though it’s been decades, that person becomes the target of all your pent-up anger.
“Is it true?” Is what you’re feeling at that moment true? Anger by itself is not always bad. Jesus was angry at the money changers at the temple for cheating the people with unfair currency exchange to enter the temple. It was true that His Father’s house had become a den of thieves. However, often our anger is based on false assumptions. The Bible tells about a time when the world was in anarchy because of our reliance on our personal feelings: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25 ).
“Is what I’m feeling helping me or hurting me?” Many of our feelings we have seem natural, but they’re actually self-defeating. This is why Scripture teaches us to “take each thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and exam it.
“Who is the author of this feeling?” If you watch an advertisement on television that shows children dying due to lack of food and water and you become angry, then God has placed that emotion into your brain. However, if you watch television and see a beautiful house of a Hollywood actor and feel jealous, then that is clearly the work of the enemy that is seeking to divide and destroy.
Prayer: Dear God: We thank you for the gift of our emotions. Help us to use them wisely so that they will stir us into action that builds up our neighbors. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
True Confession of the Heart: My Hatred Is Strong
True Confession of the Heart: My Hatred Is Strong “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them” (1 John 2:9-11 NIV). Holy Scripture encourages us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). I have a confession to make. I have deep... -
Resolve to Rest
Resolve to Rest “Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some rest’” (Mark 6:31 NCV). Each year our lives get busier. We have more responsibilities at home, work, and church. According to a recent ABC news report, 85.8 percent of males and 66.5 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Now, add on to this our responsibilities with our family, church, and other community organizations. Each year we all... -
Not Happy?
Not Happy? “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NIV).A recent Harris poll reported that in 2017 only 33% of Americans are happy. A first reaction might be that only 33% are true followers of Jesus. Christianity is the most adhered to religion in the United States, with 75% of polled American adults identifying themselves as Christian in 2015.Upon deeper reflection I realize that not all Christians are happy, nor should they be. ...