According to educated people, these are the negative emotions we humans deal with on a regular basis. (This chart is borrowed from an internet source.)
|
Dignity/
Respect/Self-Worth
Ashamed
Beaten down Cut down Criticized Dehumanized Disrespected Embarrassed Humiliated Inferior Insulted Invalidated Labeled Lectured to Mocked Offended Put down Resentful Ridiculed Stereotyped Teased Underestimated Worthless |
Freedom/Control
Bossed around
Controlled Imposed upon Imprisoned Inhibited Invaded Forced Manipulated Obligated Over-controlled Over-ruled Powerless Pressured Restricted Suffocated Trapped |
Love/Connection/
Importance
Abandoned
Alone Brushed off Confused Disapproved of Discouraged Ignored Insignificant Invisible Left out Lonely Misunderstood Neglected Rejected Uncared about Unheard Unknown Unimportant Uninformed Unloved Unsupported Unwanted |
Justice/Truth
Accused
Blamed Cheated Disbelieved Falsely accused Guilt-tripped Interrogated Judged Lied about Lied to Misled Punished Robbed |
Safety
Abused
Afraid Attacked Defensive Frightened Insecure Intimidated Over-protected Scared Terrified Threatened Under-protected Unsafe Violated |
Trust
Cynical
Guarded Skeptical Suspicious Untrusted Untrusting |
Do any of these feelings sound familiar to you? God has positive characteristics that will displace these negative ones in our lives. He calls them the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, goodness, self-control and faith. Once we submit to His healing hand, He will bring us through the dark pain of our past into the glorious light of His freedom.
The Psalmist experienced these depressing times in his soul too:
"So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land." - Psalm 143:4–6
God has other promises for us too, when we feel fainthearted and weary:
Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Hebrews 12:3 ESV, “Consider
him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may
not grow weary or fainthearted.”
2 Peter 3:13 ESV, “But
according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells.”
Jeremiah 31: 25, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the
faint."
God will never fail to comfort us in all of our distressful times in life and then use us to help others experiencing the same trials we did:
"Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in
any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." - 2 Corinthians
1:3–4
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we give our negative emotions to you. We cast off the restraints Satan tries to cripple us with to render us ineffective for the work of Your Kingdom. Help us to seek You first (Matthew 6:33) and to trust you to add to us everything we need in body, soul and spirit.
Thought for the Day:
"God keeps track of all our sorrows. He collects all of our tears in His bottle. He records each one in His book." - Psalm 56: 8
