Emotions can be godly or ungodly. How would you categorize your emotions? As a believer, you have to constantly question the source of your emotion. According to Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.” Meditating on the word of God and letting the Holy Spirit guide you daily into all truth is the biblical response to controlling your emotion.
There is an ambiguity in the definition of “Emotions.” According to Aristotle (384–322 BCE), emotions “are all those feelings that so change men as to affect their judgments, and that are also attended by pain or pleasure. Such are anger, pity, fear, and the like, with their opposites.” We all struggle with mastering our emotions at some point; some of you are still struggling right now. Our pastors, ministers, bishops, and evangelists are struggling too. Emotions are a gift from God; they could be flowers or thorns. They give significance to our relationships and make life worth living. How well you control your emotions dictates their impact. We all struggle at times with overwhelming emotions until we develop an Action Plan to keep us accountable so that we can master it. We don’t need to search far; it’s right in your Bible—“biblical instruction before leaving earth.”
Too often, as believers, we don’t spend time to find out the root causes of our ungodly emotions. We think that Faith with “no action on our part” will solve the emotional problems we face. The issues that we struggled with as a child grow with us and will negatively impact our marriage if not rectified. Let’s imagine an oak tree; it’s fragile when young and tender, but with time grows to be mighty strong. To uproot such a tree after it matures, you will need a force and special type of equipment designed for such a task as uprooting that once flimsy tree. This is the danger of uncontrolled emotions; it will leave a unique imprint on our minds, bodies, and life.
When your emotion controls you as a believer, you are acting “worldly, not spiritual” – 1 Corinthians 3: 1-3. In relationships, especially marriages, bitterness and unforgiveness arise when ungodly emotions are not controlled. Your ungodly emotions will eventually destroy your relationship with loved ones. Activate the word of God as a defense to ungodly emotions. We are commanded, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully… Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” – Ephesians 4:25, 31-32. Another issue that stems from our lack of mastering our emotions is offense. Harboring offenses gives the enemy legal access to steal, kill and destroy our spiritual, physical and emotional health with all manner of infirmities. Offenses cloud our decision-making and cause us to act in a way that we regret later. We must master our emotions because our health, peace of mind, and victory depend on them. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful,” – Colossians 3:15.
Share your thoughts:
- How are you controlling your emotions? Is the peace of God ruling your heart with Godly emotions?
- Do you have a “Master Your Emotion” Action Plan?
- Walk in Power: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” ~1 Timothy 1:7~
- Authority: “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” ~ Proverbs 16:32~
- Anger: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” ~ Ephesians 4: 26-27~
