Monday, December 08, 2008

Potion of Emotion

For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
(2 Peter 2:19 – ESV)

Our text is speaking primarily of individuals who dupe others, but we want to look at the idea that our feelings and emotions can do the same thing. They promise liberty, but they bring bondage, because if we let them lead, if we do not put them in their proper place, then we become enslaved to them (Romans 6:16). If we try and fly by our emotions, we are flying backward, by the seat of our pants. Have you ever made “an emotional decision” and how many times have you been “overcome with emotion”?

We are not denying your emotions. You have them, they are real, and everyone has them. We cannot give a prescription as simple as “keep a stiff upper lip”, or “just suck it up”, because emotions are not all bad. They are a powerful motivator and they explain a lot of things, but we often fail to process our emotions in a rational way, and we can get caught up in a whirlwind of emotional activity and make decisions we might not otherwise make if we were in a more controlled environment. Emotions are there to inform us, not to lead us. They inform us of how we feel about a situation, not about how we should deal with a situation.

Many times, however, we can be under the spell of an emotional potion and it poisons our thoughts to everything that would lead us in a right direction, and lead us to make good choices. Instead we are led to destructive behavior, and away from Christ. We must learn to rule over our emotions. Feelings can be good, they can help us in many ways, but feelings can be faithless, or misdirected. We can easily become spellbound by our own emotions if we do not learn to process them and put them in their place, using them instead of them using us.

A careless cocktail of fleeting feelings can become flaming feelings, and our addiction of choice if we continue to give in to them. Many times to entertain these thoughts is to yield to death (James 1:14-15 / Galatians 6:8). In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us to direct our thoughts to right things. Romans 12:2 says that we are to turn ourselves over to God in order to renew our ways of thinking about things. Ephesians 4:22-24 confirms this and says we can put on a new way, a new man, one who is not like the old man, who was ruled by his emotions. Christ rules the new man. The new man is the new man of maturity.

Maturity is mastering your emotions. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane showed Himself to be the master of maturity. He had emotions, for sure, but He said not my will but thine be done. How about you? You may have everything against you, but do you give up, or go on, are you ruled by your emotions or do you rule over them? Are you going to let some fleeting feeling gain ground and score a terrible touchdown on your home turf, or are you going to defend your mind and spit out the potion of emotion? Are you your own worst enemy? In your old man, yes you are, but are you going to put on the new man, or not? What clothes are you wearing? What scent are you giving off, the fragrant aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:16) that Christians are supposed to or the pungent potion of emotion, like the rest of the world?

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

33 comments:

Rudy Wellsand said...

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HAVE AN INSPIRING DAY!

Even So... said...

I hope you continue to look at this site, then, because recently I preached a sermon, online here at the site as well, titled "the are no secrets", in which I state that the law IS NOT a secret code, and there is no secret salvation, it is right there for all to see. I believe in the perspicuity of scripture, and codes and secret ways to God are not what this site is all about.

Thanks for stopping by, and may God bless you in your search for truth..I must tell you, it is found in Christ...please see my "Good News Of God's Grace" at the top of my profile section...

Craver Vii said...

Friend, I do not consider myself to be given too much to emotions. But lately, there have been a few times, when I felt what I though was righteous indignance and measured my response before reacting. When the delayed response exploded in my face, I realized I had not tempered it enough.

This morning, I felt somewhat frustrated and jokingly announced to my coworkers that today would be a good day to take-up smoking.

jazzycat said...

Emotional control. It is a great attribute to have and like everything it comes from God. I admire this trait in Christians.

Garry Weaver said...

Emotionally controled people are the stock in trade of false prophets. If a person is controled by emotion he will be easy pickin's for anyone with the ability to touch their sensitivities with words or stories. I am always suspicious when I hear of a preacher who "one minute he has you laughing, and the next minute he has you crying".

Great post Brother. Didn't mean to re-preach it.

Kim said...

This really hit home with me, because learning to control my emotions is an ongoing process. Just when I think I have one emotion under check, another one pops up. I think men have an easier time with controlling their emotions. I'm still learning.

It can be difficult, because as you say, some emotions can be good. The emotions I have with regard to my children can contribute to me being a nurturing mother; they can also contribute to me being too protective and not trust God enough.

Very good food for thought today!

Even So... said...

Thanks, folks...

Garry said Emotionally controled people are the stock in trade of false prophets

Exactly, and that is what the text is talking about in context, people being led away by the false prophets of the flesh...

Preach on, brother...

Even So... said...

Craver, Jazzy, Kim...

I really do appreciate you coming over here and commenting...as you know with your own sites, we have many, many more readers than commentors, and seeing others interact with the material is encouraging not only to me, but to them as well, it opens up reactions and thoughts and things they might have had or said, so again, thnak you from me and from them....

Even So... said...

"thnak" instead of "thank" seems to be my most consistent typing error...but it doesn't mean I don't really mean thanks ;-)

Even So... said...

Boy, this sure is a cheap way to get to 10 comments!

Carla Rolfe said...

Excellent post, absolutely spot on.

I've never been through Christian bereavement counselling, but I have been through secular bereavement counselling - so I'm not sure how they might differ in this particular area - however - the one thing that I really got out of that was this:

During the first year (or so) after the passing of a loved one, you're advised not to make any BIG, life changing decisions (such as selling a house, changing jobs or moving) because many people will make those kinds of decisions from an emotional reaction, rather than reasoning it out. Now I really believe that a Christian will have other Christians around them during that time, will rely on much prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit - but even as a Christian, that first few weeks, months or year can still be a very highly charged emotional time where decisions aren't always made from a well thought out position.

This might be an extreme example of being controlled by your emotions, but it's a real one, that many Christians do go through.

Just thinking outloud - again, excellent post well worth our time to really consider.

Craver Vii said...

No JD, "thnak" you.
;-)

Gojira said...

Hi J.D.,

I wish I knew something beside excellent to describe this post. Excellent just doesn't say how fine this post of your is. Not only is it one to print out, but also one that is emailed to family.

Even So... said...

You guys ever write a post ahead of time, post it, and then the day it goes up, you have to live it?

Well...........

Even So... said...

This is a repost from 1/18/07, but as we do from time to time, we want to make sure our new readers get a taste of some of our past posts without having to do all the digging in the archives...this one is good to read again (and again, and...)

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

I think it's a great post JD - but I have a question - I think you missed it on your last post and since it is even more applicable to this post I'll ask it again - with a bit different spin.

Here's what I think happens to me with emotions. Sometimes a situation takes you by surprise - you thought you were prepared and spiritually strong in an area and found that you'd slipped and fallen before you even knew what hit you. Your emotions are all tangled in by then and you can't seem to bring yourself to repentence, even though you know your thoughts are wrong.

So, the question is: can we, as believers, even come to repentence without the active intervention of the Holy Spirit - i.e. can we repent just because we know something's wrong and we should or do we have to wait until the Holy Spirit even enables us to do so?

Even So... said...

The Bible is clear that it is God who grants us repentance, but in saying that we don't wait until we feel like it, we turn as best we can and ask God to grant us true repentance...

Even So... said...

I was hoping someone else would take a stab at it last time, but since you asked again, I repented and answered..

:-)

Angela said...

very good! thanks for this word!

in Christ,
angela

donsands said...

Another fine teaching.

"Emotions are there to inform us, not to lead us."

Amen.

The truth is our anchor, when the waves are boisterous.

Some really good comments here as well.
Thanks JD.

Even So... said...

Thanks folks...all of us need to lift up one another in this area, there is seemingly always someone falling under this spell...

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

I thought perhaps that would be your answer, JD. Surely that is what I was hoping it was. We must acknowledge that what we are doing/thinking is sin, acknowledge that in and of ourselves we cannot even see or repent of our own sin and turn and ask God to enable us, through His spirit, to truly repent. At least, it seems to me that this is what Romans says. I believe that the Quakers called it praying for the gift of tears.

Yes, even the most "seasoned" of us may fall in this way and I think that we women are especially prone towards being carrried away by our emotions as we are capable of "giving away" our hearts without even realizing we have done so. I do not know if it is simply due to the level of emotion and compassion we are capable of having or if pehaps, like Eve, we are more easily deceived in what is real and what is false, especially if there are "hormones" thrown in but I do know that this is how it is for me. I also have spent a lot of time over the years with youth groups and college students cautioning the girls in this fashion - that the only trustworthy emotion is one that lines up directly wit what scripture says is true.

Thanks for the blog roll link! It is funny that when I received your comment, that I had just put down "V of V" for the morning. I'd say we were a mutal admiration society with the clarification that our admiration is not for each other but for the One that gives us this uncommon relationship through fellowship within the same Body.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this post again, JD. Thanks for noticing that I had changed styles, you are as always an encouragement and a very dedicated person to the flock. Praise our Holy God.

I am working on the next post as I am writing this. I hope to have it up by tonight.
Bless you brother.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone else see that Dan (Shinging The Truth) has another Post? I saw JD had been there but didn't know if anyone else had seen it.

Even So... said...

Wonderful Paul, can't wait to read it...

Andrew said...

Wow, it's cool how I hopped my way toward your blog via someone else, and that 2 Peter 2:19 verse really fits where I am right now--not in regards to emotions per se, but certainly in feeling enslaved to certain patterns of sin.

Even So... said...

1-18-07
7-25-07
12-8-08

Even So... said...

That is info for me...

MrsEvenSo... said...

Emotions are given to us by God and can be very good at times. But just like everything else in this life, if it's not bringing glory to God, we don't need it. Learning the difference is our challenge. We must be on guard with emotions and be careful not to use them to manipulate or control ourselves or others.

Even So... said...

Right on, honey...

Christopher Cohen said...

As always, a spot on post, ministering to what we are going through at that very moment. This post could in the least postpone thousands of divorces each year! :)

I liken the emotions to the sniffles. I can run to the medicine cabinet and take an antihistamine every time my nose begins to run, but it will only stop running for 45 minutes. You treat your emotions the same way, and you will never solve the problem that caused them.

That doesn't mean that I don't make emotional decisions every day, but I can at least recognize that I do. Like stopping that sin that keeps popping it's ugly head up, it takes practice.

Even So... said...

Truth...

JoyfullyHis said...

This reminds me of a situation in our town. A prominent member of the town had died and in a fit of emotion, a town councilman announced at the funeral that a street would be named after the deceased to honor their important work. When the emotion had died down a little, chaos ensued. Which street would now have to be renamed for this person? Most streets in town are named after prominent families. After a lot of fighting, arguing, blustering, etc, it was decided by the rest of the council that the new ambulance building would be named after the deceased instead. You can imagine the aftermath. I think the councilman wished he had kept his mouth shut that day.