The Four Compass Points: Emotions
Psalm 145:7-9, James 1:19-27, 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Emotional self-control is not something that is easily conquered. Our life expectations lead to frustration, which, in turn can lead to despair, and emotions that carry our goals and planning into disarray.
Have you ever asked yourself what makes you angry? You may find the key to what triggers this emotion are certain words, situations, or viewpoints you have about others. When you get angry, are you aware that there are ways to control your anger and be able to put you back at peace again?
If you think you have an anger issue, there are ways to find out how bad the problem is and what to do about it. There are self-tests that you can have professionally conducted or less formally online (such as http://psychologytoday.psychtests.com/tests/anger_access.html). Beyond the results of these tests, we need to be open to going to a counselor or other professional to find out more about ourselves if there are indications we need help.
God gets angry and the Bible has recorded many places where He was furious with people who violated what He had told them. However, God never let His anger get to the point where it was expressed with rational thought. We need to be like God in this respect. Anger is fine in certain situations, but never let it take over our words and actions.
Living in peace with the life God has given you is different than emotionally being up or down. Rather, we need to practice having expectations that within our lives we will have problems, challenges, opportunities, and achievements.
To achieve this we need to learn to be content with all things. This is VERY difficult to do. When people wrong us or events in our lives go very poorly (or even too well) it is natural to let the situation overcome us. However, if in these situations we learn to trust in the Lord through prayer, we can learn to roll with whatever life throws our way.
God is always there for us. We need to go to Him whenever we are feeling our emotions are getting the best of us. Meantime, there are resources, including in confiding in our brothers and sisters in Christ. Be open to getting help if you need it; take strides to mature and heal emotionally. Otherwise, our Christian witness will never be what it could.
- Michael Zerkich
Image by: cygnus921 (flickr)
