Are You An Emotional Wreck Just Because You Feel Like It?
Have you ever identified yourself as an emotional wreck?
Emotional wreck is a false identity label. So many times, we identify ourselves with how we feel. Usually we feel a certain way based on a response or reaction to an emotion that is elicited from a particular situation or circumstances in our life. If that situation continues for a long time and we stay in that state of experiencing deep feelings causing an outward response, we are more likely to identify ourselves as an emotional wreck.
But You Are Not An Emotional Wreck!
We are not the sum of our emotions, feelings, responses, or reactions.
Google defines emotions as: a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
An emotion is a noun or a thing. It is not a thing we touch, see, or hear. However, we can be touched by an emotion. We can see, hear, and feel the effect of emotion. You can see and hear the response of someone who is affected by an emotion.
Created As Emotional Beings
The reality is you and I were created by God to be emotional beings. He created us to feel emotions. Hence, you and I can feel love, happiness, strength, peace, hope, gratitude, etc.... We love that we can feel these wonderful emotions! The problem with feeling emotions is in our physical and fallen world, we feel many negative emotions as well. We feel pain, sorrow, weakness, anger, stress, anxiety, etc…
However, just because we feel negative emotions on a consistent basis is not reflective that we are emotional wrecks. It reminds us of the state of our current world, which is not our home.
For this world is not our permanent home;
we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hebrews 13:14 (NLT)
Nevertheless, it is the world we are living in at this time. So we have to learn how to deal with the world around us and not allow it to keep us attached to the negative emotions.
So what does the Bible say about living in this world?
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
1 Peter 2:11
We are not meant to live like the world we live in but like the world we are journeying to, God’s kingdom is our true home. This world if filled with things that draw our physical bodies toward it and cause us to desire after the things that it offers.
As believers in Christ, we are filled with His Spirit, who draws us towards God and stirs a desire in us to take His offer of abundant life. The abundant life is experiencing the healthy positive emotions God created us to experience no matter our circumstances.
Holding on to healthy, godly, positive emotions will happen only to the degree that we submit our hearts and minds to Christ. Christ is active and all-powerful to work in our lives, but He doesn’t force us to experience His work. He allows us to choose to actively engage.
How do we actively engage in living a healthy life as an emotional being and not an emotional wreck? I believe the instructions of Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 is the key.
First, let’s look at Romans 12:2.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2
Living as emotional beings in this world means we need a steady dose of renewing our minds. We can’t live in this world and not do something to combat its negative effects. As spiritual beings, we must know who we truly are, and we must know the One we will live with in eternity, our Creator.
Notice the understood you is Romans 12:2. This is a directive. Paul wrote to the Roman believers and spoke directly and gave them a contrasting picture of what not to do and what to do.
Do not be conformed to this world.
Do be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
We actively engage by choosing which way we are going, the world’s way or God’s way. We decide what we allow into our mind, good thoughts or bad thoughts.
But I mean, really… Who can control their thoughts, right? 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reveals that believers in Christ are empowered with the ability to take control of what happens in our mind.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Think about these three words from the verses above, arguments, knowledge, thought. Those words connect with what happens in our mind. Once again, we choose whether we will cast down and take captive arguments and thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.
On our own, that would be an impossible task. But we are not on our own. We are filled with the Spirit of Christ that empowers us to do what we cannot do without Him. He has given us mighty spiritual weapons to overrule the thoughts that drive us to an emotional wreck.
I want to give you some practical instructions to help with renewing your mind and capturing negative and ungodly thoughts so that you rule over emotions that threaten a healthy perspective and a sound mind.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
Practical Exercise To Help Us Rule Over Our Thoughts And Unhealthy Emotions:
1) In your prayer journal, a notebook, or a piece of paper, write out Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Philippians 4:8, and 2 Timothy 1:7.
2) Set a specific designation of time for these Scripture verses to be your focus. I suggest a minimum of 3 weeks. The longer you focus on these specific passages, the deeper embedded in your heart and mind they become.
3) Commit to every morning when you get up and every night just before you go to sleep to read over each of these verses.
4) Each time you read through these verses, ask God to help you live out your life ruling over thoughts that threaten your emotional state that you experience fully the abundant life He wants for you.
5) At the end of your set time, (I will use 3 weeks as an example) evaluate your progress. Evaluate how well you did with consistently keeping those verses before you. Acknowledge areas of improvement and areas that still need further improvement.
6) Decide if you need to continue focusing on these verses for another set designation of time.
Dear Sister in Christ,
We were created to feel and to love. And in Christ we are filled with the Holy Spirit and positioned with God’s power. However, we need God’s truth because the world lies and tells us negative experiences and emotions are normal and we should accept them as such. But, God equipped us and empowered us to rise above the circumstances we face in this world. Learning God’s word, His goodness, and good intention toward us is the first step in a journey of living as a healthy emotional being, not an emotional wreck.
I would love to hear from you at the end of this exercise. Let me know how this helped you!
Also, I wanted to share a book I found beneficial, Kevin Leman’s Be Your Own Shrink. .
