(I was listening to this while writing this blog Fall Apart by Josh Wilson, Click on the link to listen to it while you read. Hope you enjoy!)
With the new year starting everyone is making their "New Years Resolutions." I have done this many times, and I don't think I've ever completed one. This year, I am taking a different approach. Instead of trying to meet a goal wait, or quit a bad habit, or learn something new, I am going to practice. My resolution, simply stated, is this... In the year 2012, I will practice controlling my emotions in the way that God would have me to do so, in hopes that at this time next year, I will control my emotions, instead of having my emotions control me.
In an attempt to figure out how to accomplish this goal, research was definitely in order. I had questions about why controlling emotions was important, and how am I supposed to control something like emotions... how can anyone control the way they feel? Well after reading some scriptures, articles, etc.. I learned a whole lot about emotions, feelings, and reactions. My first thought when I came up with this resolution was that I would just choose how to feel. Shouldn't be too hard... if I don't like how I feel about something, I'll change it.. or just not feel anything. I soon found out that didn't work. God gave us feelings and emotions for a reason. We feel because God feels. We have emotions because God has emotions. If we could just turn them off and not feel life would be dull. The first step, I learned, into controlling your emotions is to recognize first and foremost, the greatness of the God who gave them to us.
The logical next thought for me was that if God gave us emotions, how could they be bad... then I remembered how human I am, and how as a human I have the "talent" to make pretty much anything bad. So I reconsidered the next step and realized that the second step is to discern. To realize that some emotions and feelings I experience aren't Godly because I am not God. Sometimes these are referred to as 'true' and 'false' emotions. False emotions occur when one is not recognizing that God is in control of everything. For example, I may be anxious or worried about something in my life because I don't realize that God is in control of it. When I realize I am feeling this way I should stop and remember that God has a plan and is in control, and no matter how bad things may appear to be, I needn't be worried all the time.
Once you've discerned... what's next? What happens after you feel happy, angry, sad... you react. The next step is to control your reaction. I don't know if one can control how they feel about things or the emotions that they have, but you can control your reaction to those feelings. If you feel angry, is it okay to scream and yell and hit things and thrash about like a crazy person.... the answer I'm hoping you all gave is no. (however, I am sure we have all had our share of tantrums... myself included). Sometimes it's not to hard to control a reaction to an emotion, however we've all been in those situations where you just react without thinking and yell at someone or throw something or do something you regret (ps... if you're reading this and I have done any of these to you I am truly sorry). How do you control these knee jerk reactions? The answer, is practice. Practice, and prayer, and reading. Always growing in your walk, always learning. Constantly working on your relationship with God. Arm yourself with scriptures and prayer, and with time, it will become an easier battle.
