May your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground. —Psalm 143:10
God made us to be emotional creatures. Imagine not being able to feel joy and ecstasy or even pain and sorrow. Feelings and emotions are gifts from the Lord. Yet too often we find our lives driven by thoughts and feelings we know are out of order but can’t seem to get under control.
By God’s grace, we can bring these emotions under the control of His Spirit. I’ve discovered two vital keys to ruling over rather than being ruled by our emotions.
First, the Word. My emotions tend to be the most out of line when I haven’t been faithfully meditating on Scripture. God’s truth can stabilize us, giving us the perspective and authority we need.
Second, His people. When we’re feeling upset and out of sorts, we may be tempted to withdraw and isolate ourselves. But it’s important to let others into our hearts. We don’t need to run from those who can help reorient us, nor from those who, as we minister to their needs, enable our own hearts to be renewed.
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The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings
©2012 Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Ask God to bring your feelings under the control of His Spirit and to give you grace to do what is right, based on faith.