Winning The Battle: Harmful Emotions - Check Your Heart!
Everyone needs a check up, and when you go to the doctor for a physical exam he/she will always check your heart. So what is true in the physical is true in the spirit. We, as women of God, need to take a spiritual heart check on a regular basis. Not many of us can become great women unless we do a regular check of our heart. We must face what is really in our hearts and regulate it with prayer. Remove the sin from your heart and your life will become balance and your emotions will not swing from one pole to the next. Pay attention to the warning signs of sin. Tell the truth about what you are feeling and especially work on not being jealous or selfish. More marriages break up because one spouse or another is jealous and/or selfish.
According to the Scriptures in James 3:13-16, we prove that we are wise by doing good and taking control of our emotions by being truthful with what is going on in our heart. James states, "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind."
Check your heart it will tell you physically, and emotionally what is killing you or making you better. Give yourself a check up today. Is your heart full of anxiety, fear, anger, repressed anger, bitterness, jealousy (envy), etc. or love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? There is no conflict with the law of space. If you want your heart and mind (soul) to be transformed it must be occupied with later not the former.
Nothing in your past shall cling to your present, especially not bad relationships. Just because one man was bad, it does not mean that all men are bad.
What should a person do to get rid of these negative emotions?
1) Identify your harmful emotions. If you don’t God will.
(Read about David – 2 Samuel 12:1-14.)
2) Confess Your Sin – Develop a mind that truly thinks as Christ Jesus thinks and confront your deadly thinking. Out of David’s confession came Psalms 51: (Create in me a clean heart of Lord).
3) Paul said, “Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things that are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Moses took the high road and turned to God. Israel left Marah (forgot the bitter waters) and they came to Elim (place of sweetness). Exodus 15:21
The best antidote for an offense against you is the cleansing power of forgiveness. Don Colbert said that forgiveness does not mean letting a person off the hook so that no justice is required. A forgiving person can still require a person to appear in court or face legal penalties for a crime committed against him. Forgiveness means putting another person squarely in the hands of God, and allowing God to work His justice in that person’s life. It is trusting God to deal with the offending person, the hurtful situation, the horrible memories of terrible events. It is trusting God to heal the wounds inside of your heart.
So if you want to be better and not bitter you must practice the act of forgiveness every single day. A heart check-up will give you wisdom, bring you balance and your entire life will come into perfect peace. James ends chapter 3 with these words, "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others (not selfish). It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and it is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness."
For Jesus' Sake,
Pastor Tricia
According to the Scriptures in James 3:13-16, we prove that we are wise by doing good and taking control of our emotions by being truthful with what is going on in our heart. James states, "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind."
Check your heart it will tell you physically, and emotionally what is killing you or making you better. Give yourself a check up today. Is your heart full of anxiety, fear, anger, repressed anger, bitterness, jealousy (envy), etc. or love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? There is no conflict with the law of space. If you want your heart and mind (soul) to be transformed it must be occupied with later not the former.
Nothing in your past shall cling to your present, especially not bad relationships. Just because one man was bad, it does not mean that all men are bad.
What should a person do to get rid of these negative emotions?
1) Identify your harmful emotions. If you don’t God will.
(Read about David – 2 Samuel 12:1-14.)
2) Confess Your Sin – Develop a mind that truly thinks as Christ Jesus thinks and confront your deadly thinking. Out of David’s confession came Psalms 51: (Create in me a clean heart of Lord).
3) Paul said, “Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things that are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Moses took the high road and turned to God. Israel left Marah (forgot the bitter waters) and they came to Elim (place of sweetness). Exodus 15:21
The best antidote for an offense against you is the cleansing power of forgiveness. Don Colbert said that forgiveness does not mean letting a person off the hook so that no justice is required. A forgiving person can still require a person to appear in court or face legal penalties for a crime committed against him. Forgiveness means putting another person squarely in the hands of God, and allowing God to work His justice in that person’s life. It is trusting God to deal with the offending person, the hurtful situation, the horrible memories of terrible events. It is trusting God to heal the wounds inside of your heart.
So if you want to be better and not bitter you must practice the act of forgiveness every single day. A heart check-up will give you wisdom, bring you balance and your entire life will come into perfect peace. James ends chapter 3 with these words, "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others (not selfish). It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and it is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness."
For Jesus' Sake,
Pastor Tricia
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