EMOTIONS MINE

EMOTIONS MINE

Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Psalm [MKJV] 119:11-12 I have hidden Your Word in my heart, so that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Jehovah; teach me Your Precepts.

2Timothy [GW] 3:16-17 Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval. They equip God's servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.

  “You make me so mad!!!!”

  Fact is, absolutely no person can make me angry . . . or lust, be jealous, sad, depressed, despondent . . . or happy, gleeful, thankful, appreciative, peaceful, calm, serene, . . . love, affection, collegiality or experience any other emotion.

  It’s not that I don’t have emotions or the lack of when should. The truth is that feelings don’t come from outside. They come from within.

  I decide to be angry or calm, or any other emotions. I would be a fool to believe otherwise. Once upon a time I bamboozled myself with thinking people and circumstance caused emotion.

  Am I saying emotions per se are bad, sinful? No! Several Scriptural examples:

·         “Be angry without sinning. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the devil any opportunity to work.” GW Eph.4:26-27

·         “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” ESV Jam.1:19-20

·         “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” MKJV Heb.13:4

·         “Jesus went into the temple courtyard and threw out everyone who was buying and selling there. He overturned the moneychangers' tables and the chairs of those who sold pigeons.” GW Mt.21:12 (Jesus did so calmly or angrily.)

·         “Jesus wept.” GW Jn.11:35

  What I am saying is we alone decide what, when, where, and how we act out emotions.

  To credit others with making us angry or serene et al is irresponsibly not following the divine expression of the Word living (Jn.1:1) and the word written (Ps.119: 1-176; Col.1:5; 1:25; 2Tim.3:16-17).

  Such blame-shifting immature behavior on the part of God’s John 1:12 sons and daughters is bondage to emotions. Though His freedom is constantly available, bondage to an emotion(s) in blaming others makes “free indeed” (Jn.8:36) non-functional in individual and/or group life.

  2Timothy 3:6-7 describes such silly people; forever studying and learning but because they’re controlled by their emotions; angst and its companion stress is their lot contrary to “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (ESV Gal.5)

  Please consider this day the importance of our, not others, being responsible for our emotions.

EBB4