Well-meaning
friends and relatives often attempt to talk us out of our negative emotions in
an effort to help us to feel better. However, this only causes us to suffer
more acutely.
We
feel misunderstood, unaccepted and invalidated. They want to help; but they
complicate our issues, and we feel more alone than we did before they tried to support
us.
Their
perception of our issue is different than ours. They were not in the
circumstance, so they cannot fully comprehend our viewpoint.
We
can help one another more fully by listening and affirming each other's
feelings, rather than trying to help someone change their feelings.
We
can also share a similar experience and how God taught us to deal with it,
which may give them an idea on how to resolve their own issue.
Sometimes,
Satan will tempt us to believe his lies, or to trust the feelings in our heart.
This may cause us to reject God's truth, which compounds our problems.
The
Bible is clear in its assessment of such behavior. The heart is deceptive and
often wicked. It will rarely steer us in the right direction (Jeremiah 17:9).
Our
thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings will direct our behavior.
Therefore, it is imperative for us to think about the positive and find the
root of our negative emotions (Philippians 4:8).
This
is particularly difficult for people with a melancholy personality. We always
see the glass half-empty. Yet, God's Holy Spirit will replace our destructive
tendencies with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Negative
thoughts signal a need in our soul: a slight to mourn, forgiveness to grant, a
need to meet, an idol to cast down, faulty thinking to correct, etc.
As
we focus on the eternal, put temporal issues in Godly perspective, and take an
inventory of our soul in order to meet our own needs, we find more peace and
joy in life.
Prayer:
Father
God, we often feel life's issues with a depth of emotion, which is difficult to
explain in words. People want to encourage us and help us to restore our joy,
but they often come across as indifferent and uncompassionate.
Help
us to comfort one another with Your love within us and to show patience and
genuine concern. Remind us to view the issues of life from Your eternal
perspective, rather than our limited earthly standpoint. Enable us to learn to
laugh more and not to take our self or life so seriously.
Thought
for the Day:
As
we fully grieve our losses, we can change our focus and find the joy of the Lord
regardless of our circumstances.
