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...
-
What Is Your Reflection?
What Is Your Reflection? “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver” (Malachi 3:3 NIV). I think most people probably use a mirror at least once a day, maybe even multiple times. We look at ourselves to see our reflection. We want to know what image we are reflecting out to others. Then, we take action to improve our appearance.Scripture tells us that God’s Word is like a mirror: "Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at... -
You Got Questions? So Does God!
You Got Questions? So Does God! “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).We all have questioned God when adversity or disappointment occurs. I suspect we all excel at clearly telling God what we want. How many times have you questioned God? When will I get promoted? Why did my good friend die? Where am I going to live when I can no longer care for myself? What does God want from me? Who am I? A teacher encourages their students to learn. Of the 90 times Jesus was directly addressed in the gospels, on 60 occasions He was addressed as “Teacher.” ... -
Open My Eyes
Open My Eyes "When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:30-32 NIV). The title of this blog makes me recall the two men walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. After walking and talking with Him all day, they did not know they were with...