WHO LOVES YOU - Part 3 - God's Healing Love

 

Some people seem to laugh easily; others laugh sparingly, almost grudgingly. Some cry at commercials; others hardly shed a tear if hit by the worst of personal disasters. 

Emotions are often frightening. They are so intense that they cause us to feel insecure and unsure of our self. We feel out of control and unstable. This causes many people to shut off their emotions.

They function from their mind and refuse to feel. They do not want to experience the pain which accompanies many emotions. They do not like feeling vulnerable and defenseless.

Men are taught that emotions are a sign of weakness. They will not allow themselves to cry or to admit being hurt. Their macho identity is in peril. They often despise emotions and disdain anyone who expresses them.

They think people will reject them if they knew how they really feel. This hinders them and their significant others from the free exchange of expression from their souls.

They separate from this vital part of their existence. They only connect to others through their mind, body and choices. They stop considering how their behavior affects another person's life.

Some people are very independent. They are self-sufficient, having their own agenda and they prefer not to interact too intimately in relationships unless they are in the mood for companionship.

Others are quite the opposite. They are dependent on others in order to survive. They feel no value in their abilities and are incapable of living alone. They lack confidence and self-esteem.

Some are codependent. They live for others and are only happy when they can rescue or enable someone else. They deny their own needs as a martyr.

Then they feel resentful and grow angry and bitter about all the sacrifices they make and responsibilities that they carry, which are not reciprocated.

Ideally, we all grow from these tainted and lopsided philosophies into interdependent people. We learn to accomplish things with our God-given talents and to form equally mutual relationships. We enjoy alone time, but also intimacy as well.

These healthy people recognize that positive emotions improve our life. They understand that negative emotions flag some issue, which need our attention. They easily commit to others as the Lord leads, and they readily forgive others.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to have the mind of Christ and allow us to feel Your healing love. Help us to love what You care about and to hate what You despise. Lead us on the pathway to wholeness. We are Your children and You spend every second of Your time showering us with Your abundant love.

Sometimes, we get so busy that we are not even aware of You communicating the unfathomable depth of Your love to each of us personally. You know us intimately and You want us to love You intimately as well. 

As we allow Your Spirit to bring us gradually closer to Your perfection as well as harmony with one another, we come together as Your Body, knit together with You as our Head and as the lover of our soul (Ephesians 4:16; Isaiah 38:17; Psalm 143:8).

Thought for the Day:

God only asks that we repent and ask for forgiveness when we fail; then He wants us to open up to the Holy Spirit’s direction so we can walk in obedience to His will for our individual lives. - Acts 3:19

Understanding Emotions

I apologize for not posting a devotion yesterday. I had vertigo and could not even sit up in a chair! I am better today...a bit tipsy, but recovering from an inner ear issue. Thank you for your patience...kat

God gave us emotions to express our self and the mood we are experiencing at any given moment. They are an important part of our soul, which includes our intellect, emotions and choices. Each emotion has many variations of intensity and nuances of feeling, such as annoyed, angry and enraged. We often think that we are too vulnerable when we express our true feelings, so we hide behind masks, which help us to pretend.

We suppress our feelings in an attempt to be patient and to get along with people, trying not to nag or to complain. Once our patience runs out, however, this usually compounds the problem due to a rise in the intensity of our feelings. Prior to the point of frustration and anger, it helps if we will calmly express how someone’s negative behavior or words are affecting us and making us feel. No one is perfect, and we all have value and worth.

As we take frequent stock of our emotions, we get a clue as to how we are really doing in that moment of time. If we are not being treated properly, our emotions give us a clue that this abusive behavior is not acceptable. Our underlying thoughts fuel our behavior. We simply need to get alone and take the time to journal or to think, in order to get in touch with how we really feel at the core of our soul.

Sometimes, following the road map that emotions give us leads us back to the disturbing incidents in our past, which still affect us today. Then, once we understand the cause of our emotions, it is much easier to explain to others how we really feel. Their offensive behavior may be just a misunderstanding, or a lack of discernment or manners on the part of the other person. That is why relationships work out better if we express how we really feel before our soul hides behind a mask.

If the other person sees no problem with their words or behavior, or if they consistently disregard our needs, we can erect boundaries to protect our soul from their painful words and behavior. Putting distance between them and us, or changing our focus about how their actions, opinions or beliefs affect us, will ensure that our heart is not constantly bombarded by their insensitivity and callous behavior.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to choose our words carefully and to speak up when we are violated by another person’s words or actions. Help us to change our focus about their behavior, so that we can maintain the relationship without severing the unity between us. When the whole world misunderstands or criticizes us, You are holding out Your arms, ready to pour out Your love and grace on us in our time of need. We can unburden our heart to You, sharing with You our deepest feelings without any fear of censure or ridicule.

Thought for the Day:

We can pay attention the red flags that our negative emotions give us and use our words to express how we really feel before we let our emotions dictate our behavior.

The Perfect Life

God has a perfect plan for every life. The perfect life is one of contentment in every circumstance (Philippians 4:12). It is comprised of complete joy and peace, as we live it with prayer and in gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18; John 14: 27). God’s Spirit directs each step as we prayerfully consider His will for us, one day at a time (Isaiah 30:21). It feels amazing to start living your life the way God wants you to live it. If we are too busy with our own agenda to respond to His direction, we will certainly wander off His chosen path and stray from His will. That is a certain recipe for disaster in spirit, soul and body. However, as we dedicate each moment to Christ, we listen for His guidance and walk in His Spirit throughout the day.

Do your best in everything God leads you to do. Decluttering your life can have a wonderful effect on your mood and success. Clear your desk at work, dust and clean the cobwebs in your house and even clear out the shelves in the closets. Have a yard sale or donate to a local church thrift store. This clean space in your life will contribute to freedom in your soul – your mind, will and emotions, as well as in your spirit. Do not allow your “To Do” list to dominate your days. Make your list and then pray about what God wants you to do and in what order He wants you to do them. Once you decide where He wants you to go first, obey. Then, listen to the Spirit’s inspiration during each task throughout the day.

The Lord will direct your chores, errands, exercise regime, phone calls, visits and even what to purchase and what to fix for meals. Pay attention to where you are and what is going on around you. What is happening and how does God want you to respond to it? As we meet one divine appointment after another, our heart sings with joy, our mind bursts with positive thoughts and our moments fill with fulfilling deeds. As we live each moment fully present with the Lord, we are in the right place at the right time to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. You many not complete your list. You may only take a few steps toward one of your goals for the day, but you will feel a sense of achievement, because you have obeyed God’s direction all day long.

Taking a few minutes to walk and enjoy nature can revitalize your focus, calm your thoughts, bring serenity to your soul and deepen your time of communication with the Lord. Sit on the back porch with your Bible and watch the sunrise, or take a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the sunset. A time of worship with music in the car or at home will smooth out the kinks in your day and keep you in total peace (Isaiah 26:3). Write a devotion, visit the sick and shut-ins, spend time with your loved ones, watch a wholesome movie or double date with Christian friends, whatever the Lord directs you to do.

This perfect life starts with eternal salvation through believing in Jesus Christ (John 6:40; Isaiah 10:15). However, even the demons believe and tremble at the name of Jesus (James 2:19). So, God requires a second step for living His perfect life. He calls us to repent of our sins. This is not a quick prayer that we repeat each time we give in to temptation. It is a total surrender of our will to His directive to live a holy life (1 Peter 1:15). The ultimate goal in our perfect life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, who is the firstborn son of God, with whom we are joint heirs of all that God promises (Romans 8:17, 29).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help us to learn from our mistakes and those made by others. Give us remorse for our sins and victories in spite of our failings. Remind us to consider the consequences of our behavior and our choices. Let us reach for small successes as we learn to walk in Your presence by the leading of Your Holy Spirit. Release us from our bondage to accomplish worldly goals and help us to consider how our behavior affects eternity.

Thought for the Day:

Every perfect life begins with surrender to God’s will and ends in eternity in His presence.






Thank you, Sheila Bradley, for the use of your photo.