"Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good."
[Romans 12:21]
God fashioned and molded each and everyone of us to be feeling, emotional beings. He created us to love, laugh, cry, smile...and even to be angry. We were created in His image [Genesis 1:27], and God is an entity that possesses great emotions as well. He IS love; He is sad when we are broken-hearted and hurting; He smiles and rejoices over us; He is angry and jealous when we continue to rebel against Him and esteem other people and things higher than Him. He has feelings, just like us!
The problem is, although He has created us to feel and have emotions, He never intended for us to be out of balance and allow some of these emotions to "hold us hostage". He did not plan for us to esteem our emotions and feelings in such a high position that we would allow them to take the lead, and direct our actions and steps. He did not intend for us to fall victim to our emotions.
At one time in my life, I knew a young woman who was the epitomy of an "emotional hostage". She was a beautiful, physically fit, intelligent, creative, college educated, and well-rounded business woman and mother; a saved woman that attended church each Sunday. On the surface, she appeared to have it "all together" and under control. The only MAJOR problem was, when certain occasions would arise, this "held together" woman would allow herself to get "stuck-up" by her emotions and and would blindly follow them. As soon as she would "get wind" of some news, that seemed as though it would negatively affect her world (whether substantiated or not), usually without taking the time to check the facts and truly evaluate the news that had come to her, she would sporadically and recklessly REACT on her emotions. If someone hurt her or offended her, without logically thinking, or taking the time to calm down, or possibly even praying on the issue, SHE'D ACT out...and go with the flow of her immediate gush of emotions. Unfortunately, a lot of times, she would react with such dramatic actions following the onset of an emotion, that she would later regret what she'd done and was remorseful once realizing what the "true" situation was, or after realizing the detrimental affects (to herself, family, and/or relationships) of the drastic measures she'd taken while allowing herself to be an "emotional hostage". Emotionally and on the inside, this "together" Christian woman did not have it "together", because she continuously allowed herself to fall victim to her emotions and follow their lead.
As I have already made clear, God wired us with feelings and emotions, reflective of His image; however, He desires that in all things we are well-balanced and in self-control. We are allowed to be upset,angry, and hurt, but He does not want us to sin in that emotion of anger [Psalm 4:4]. He even understands that as humans we may be prone to feel fearful and afraid at times, but knowing that He has wired us with a spirit of love, power, and a sound-mind (discipline & self-control) [2 Timothy 1:7], He expects us to walk in faith. For it is faith that pleases Him [Hebrews 11:6], not fear, worry, and doubt. He wants us to be led by faith, not by the feelings of fear.
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." [Proverbs 25:28]
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed". [1 Peter 1:13]
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." [2 Peter 1:6-7 ]
Let us not live our lives as if we are cities with broken down walls. A city with broken down walls has no protection and is open to the free reign and rampage of the enemy! When we allow ourselves to be "emotional hostages" and recklessly lose all self-control, in the heat of the moment, we are letting down our guards and sending an open invitation to Satan to "Come on in!"
Doubting that we'd like to invite Satan over to pillage our lives, let's take hold of that freedom that Christ suffered for, for us. Let us be sober minded and not allow our emotions to enslave us.
Whom the Son set FREE is FREE, indeed!
[John 8:36]
And WE ARE FREE, to be victims and hostages NO LONGER!
Mad Luv~Teri
My God is FAITHFUL!
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