What Do I Do With These Emotions?

What has your day been like today?

You know that the things that happen to you during the day can affect how you feel. Is the way that you’re feeling right now distracting you from what you should be doing at work or school?

Feelings—emotions—can slow you down or even derail you from being productive and enjoying what you do. They can inspire you to build or destroy.

Your emotions can be influenced by other people and what they say and do. Then, if you make decisions based on how you feel, you are allowing those other people to direct your life.

You can have consistently great days where situations and people don’t derail your emotions. To have that, you first need to make a choice. It’s one choice that will affect how you view everything, how you act, and how you react to what other people say and do.

This choice will change everything.

This choice will affect every area of your life. I’m not talking about salvation. I’m talking about a choice that you make as a Christian believer. It’s the choice to have emotions, but to not allow them to control you.

You need strength to govern your emotions. When you became a part of God’s family, He provided the strength that you need. God never intended that you would live life using only your own physical or emotional strength. Paul the apostle knew that God’s strength was available. We see that in his prayer for the church in Ephesus, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” Ephesians 3:16 (NLT)

That strength comes from God’s Spirit who lives in you (1 Corinthians 3:16). Think about it like the process that happens when you drink a glass of water. Your body absorbs the water; it becomes part of you. The water then enables you to function. God’s Spirit produces, in you and through you, the ability to govern your emotions and to display godly character (Galatians 5:22-23).

You can govern your emotions. Yes, you will feel something when someone says something rude or hurtful, but with the ability of God’s Spirit, you will be able to evaluate what was said and to move beyond it.

When we give more attention to what God says about our lives and the comfort that His Spirit provides than what some person says, then we’ll remain emotionally stable.

So tomorrow morning when you’re getting ready for your day, don’t wonder if it will be a sad day, a creative day, or a day full of drama. You can say, “Thank you Father God that today is the best day I’ve had to this point. My focus is on you. My strength comes from you. Show me how to be a blessing today wherever I am. In Jesus’ name.” Then get ready for a great day.