The Truth About Emotions

I am admittedly an emotional girl. My emotions can lead me on a roller coaster of ups and downs that leaves my head spinning, if they go unchecked. For years, that was the way I lived my life...jumping from one emotional high or low to another without much regard for how it affected me or those around me. I lived under the idea that I was entitled to my emotions and couldn't do anything to change them. That is an exhausting and, quite frankly, depressing way to live. I am not denying that emotions can sometimes be so raw or deep that the best way to deal with them is just to let them play out honestly for a bit. I just know that letting my emotions run wild and dictate how life is going to be, is no longer ok with me.

God created us to be emotional beings. Often our emotions are an indicator of where our heart is on an issue or a red flag that signals us of something in a situation. Emotions can be so good and helpful. The problem occurs when we start giving our emotions free reign and making all of our decisions based on how we are feeling. I can look back in my life and pinpoint times when my emotions led me in decision making. I missed opportunities God had for me when fear said that I couldn't walk that road. I have friendships that have been forever impacted by allowing jealousy or anger to push me from that person. I have been in relationships that I placed far too much stock in for the future because of how they made me feel at the time. Seeing the results of a life being lived on emotion left me wanting and needing a better way.

A verse that I have found very convicting in this area of life is 2 Corinthians 10:5, 

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 

I am learning that just as my thoughts need to be taken captive, my emotions must come under Christ's rule. He knows the reality of my feelings and wants me to express my emotions to Him. He is the safe place where I can let it all out and then allow His Spirit to sort through the mess and show me how to deal with it practically. I don't have to live my life reacting to emotions or bottling them and pretending they don't exist. In His way is freedom. So on the days where my emotions seem to be all over the place and threatening to dictate how I live (which if I am honest is most days right now), I am choosing to take it all to Jesus. I don't want to look back any longer and realize that I have missed something beautiful because my emotions led me instead of Christ.