Don’t get
me wrong, emotions and feelings can be a tremendous blessing. When I look at my
little boy, my heart is overwhelmed to bursting with a love and adoration that
is sweet. When my husband and I spend quality time together or get some time
away, I love the passion, romance, and security that our love engenders in my
heart. Feelings are also helpful indicators when something is wrong. When you
are hiking and run across a coiled snake, the panic that arises causes you to
move quickly and safely away. And even some of these feelings that I am tired
of fighting can be useful to show me where I am trusting in something or someone
other than the Lord. Or, grief, anxiety, or depression can tell me when I am
hurting and need to seek help from the Lord, from friends, or even a medical
professional. But what is on my mind today are those emotions and feelings that
tell us lies and try to convince us to believe them instead of truth. Let’s
look at some examples.
Feelings can tell us:
I am not good enough.
I am too weak to do _____. (what God has called me to or
given me)
I need _____ to be happy. (food, possessions, money, a
certain weight, etc.)
If God really loved me, He wouldn’t allow this painful
thing.
Where do
these lies come from? Two places: Satan and ourselves. God warns us in His word
that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), and that our hearts are deceitful
above all else (Jeremiah 17:9). Some lies are so subtle that we don’t recognize
that we are making decisions throughout the day based on them. One of my ‘favorites’
is choosing to eat junk food or too much food because it offers comfort or
pleasure. I don’t analyze every time I reach for junk food to think “Am I just
enjoying a fun creation of God’s in healthy balance, or am I trying to satisfy
myself apart from Him?” However, even when I am aware of these lies, it is not
any easier to battle them. The flesh or Satan shouts loudly and convincingly
that I need _____ to be happy, or that I am never going to be the best mother I
want to be.
So, what do
we do when these lies overwhelm our emotions? If our hearts are so deceitful,
how do we fight them? The simple answer is with truth! God has given us
everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) in His Word and through
the power of His Holy Spirit. However, we have to be disciplined to utilize
these great tools, be aware of our weak spots, and utilize the body of Christ
through accountability. Our greatest asset is keeping our relationship with the
Lord strong through daily Bible meditation and prayer. Joshua 1:8 says, “This
book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it
day and night, so that you will be careful to do all that is written in it; for
then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success.”
Being aware
of your weaknesses and the times or circumstances that highlight your
weaknesses can also help you combat the lies of emotions. For many of us, right
after we have had a spiritual high or even just an enjoyable thing like a
vacation, we quickly experience a downturn of emotion and thinking, whether it
is Satan’s attack or a physical/emotional letdown. Of course, being mindful of
our natural hormonal ebb and flow is helpful if you do see a pattern. Knowing
you often have a sensitive day at a certain time of the month can allow you to
prepare yourself. But also knowing where you tend to run to satisfy yourself
apart from God: books, TV, shopping, food, other people, etc., can help you
heighten your awareness when you notice you are running to those things more
often. Furthermore, you can find specific verses to meditate on or memorize that
combat those lies with truth.
Finally,
enlist your sisters in Christ or your family members to keep you accountable
and to share your burden or struggle (Galatians 6:1-2). I know that when I keep
my struggle to myself, I go through cycles of shame when I feel like I am failing
that defeat me more, but I also observe that what I am struggling with feels so
much more powerful when I don’t share it. Find someone you trust who knows and
loves you and wants the best for you. Start an accountability partnership or
group, where you all share your struggles. Pray for one another and ask about
how everything is going with the struggle. Offer any advice you have found
helpful. We were not meant to do this alone. And often, just discovering that
other women know exactly how you feel, or have struggles too even if they are
different from yours can be a relief and a joy. May the Lord grant us the
strength and honesty to battle our emotions and always keep His truth foremost
in our minds and hearts!
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