People who claim they can’t help it, but fly off the handle every time something upsets them do NOT realize that they CAN control their emotions. They just choose not to, and want others to accept them that way. “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.” Proverbs 29:11 (NLT)
If you want to tame your temper, you must resolve to manage it. Quit saying, “I can’t control it!” ALL emotions are a choice. When you get angry, you choose to get angry. And when you are kind and loving, you choose to be so. Nobody is forcing you.
The same goes with grief. Some people go into a spiral of depression for months or even years when they lose a dear loved one. But as hard a saying as this may sound, it’s a choice. You can choose to get over it, and move on… Some people think that they’re demonstrating their ongoing love for their loved one by grieving. No, you can choose to live a happy and victorious life, even if, for the sake of the people you’ve loved.
All emotions are controllable and manageable. –The more so if you’re a believer. The Bible says: “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to your deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
You have far more control over your emotions than you may want to admit. Here’s the proof: Let’s say you’re at the office and you’re in an argument with a colleague. Your voices are raised, and you’re getting agitated. All of a sudden, the phone rings, most likely the boss, and you answer sweetly, “Hello? Oh, yes, of course I can help you!” –your entire tone has changed in a split second.
Again, if you claim to be a believer, then you are acknowledging that your old man is DEAD. It was crucified with Christ. “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6). Paul went further when talking to the Galatians, he said, “and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. (Galatians 5:24)
The new man is the real thing. John explains, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)
When we’re born again, we’re born of the Spirit of God. We have the Holy Spirit abiding in us we’re also blessed with the fruit of the spirit which is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). These are our new emotions. Those are the ones we must put on.
The time to decide to manage your emotions is not when your blood pressure is rising, your adrenaline is shooting into your system, you can feel the flush in your face. At that point, you’ve already lost the battle. Rather, you resolve to manage your emotions as a decree before God. You accept that your old man is crucified, and you discipline yourself to walk in your new identity.
Let’s be happy and make others happy. We’re the light of the world, for Christ’s sake…(Matthew 5:13)
…😂 I thought you’d like that one.