You Have Authority over Your Emotions
Adapted from Managing Your Emotions
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
Feelings in and of themselves are neither good nor evil. They are, however, unstable and unpredictable at times, so they need to be managed. They can be enjoyable and wonderful, but they can also make us miserable and drive us to make choices we eventually regret. Unbridled emotions can be compared to young children who want to have and do everything but don’t understand that some things can be dangerous. Parents must control their children, or they will surely hurt themselves or others. Similarly, we can learn to “parent” our emotions. We need to train them to avoid dangerous and unhealthy situations and to live the life and blessings God has for us.
Understanding our feelings is important, but not nearly as important as controlling them and not allowing them to run wild. Just as parents have authority over their children, you have authority over your emotions. You can decide that you will no longer let them control you.
The way you manage your emotions will determine how you live your life—whether you are a victim or a victor, whether you go forward in confidence or shrink back in fear when great opportunities present themselves, and whether you become known as a peacemaker or as a person who stirs up strife.
Feelings can be strong and demand their own way, but you don’t have to let them have it. Choosing to handle them well can position you to receive and enjoy the best God has for you each day, in every situation you face.
Prayer of the Day: Help me, God, to manage my emotions in ways that position me to receive the best You have for me today.
