Part 14 (2/2)
Some people say, ”Well, I just can't help it. I lose control.” Yes, we can help it. I know we can because we are able to control ourselves around particular people-people we want to impress. I could have been in the middle of the biggest fit in the whole world, but if somebody like my pastor walked up, I straightened up extremely fast and became kind and loving. We're often like different creatures when we think n.o.body is looking. But what really goes on in your private life shows in your public life, whether or not you know it. G.o.d is called all-seeing and all-knowing, and we're definitely not putting anything over on Him. Remember G.o.d is watching you all the time. We need to stop thinking we can't control our emotions and start learning how to deal with and manage them in a G.o.dly way.
Excuses are just reasons stuffed with a lie. We make excuses and thereby deceive ourselves. What we are doing would be wrong for someone else, but we have an excuse for doing it. Are you ready to get rid of your ”excuse bag”? I think we all have one and it is stuffed with a variety of excuses for every conceivable situation. If we are grouchy, our excuse is we feel bad or had a tough day at work. If we are selfish, we tell ourselves that if we don't take care of ourselves then n.o.body will. If we are spending more money than we make, we tell ourselves how wise it is to get the item while it is on sale. I encourage you to ask G.o.d to make you aware of all the excuses you make and start taking responsibility for your actions rather than excusing them.
We need to stop thinking we can't control our emotions and start learning how to deal with and manage them in a G.o.dly way.
CHAPTER 60.
The Test of Emotionally Trying Times A few years ago, as I was praying, G.o.d revealed to me, ”Joyce, I am going to test your emotions.” I had never heard of anything like that. Psalm 7:9 says G.o.d establishes the righteous, those upright and in harmony with Him, for Him; He tries the hearts, emotions, and thinking powers. The meaning of ”tries” here means purifies. I didn't know scriptures about G.o.d trying our emotions were even in the Bible.
About six months later I suddenly seemed to become an emotional wreck. I cried for no reason. Everything hurt my feelings. I thought, What is the problem here? What's going on? Then the Lord reminded me of what He showed me earlier: ”I am going to test your emotions.” He led me to Psalm 7:9 and Revelation 2:23 and caused me to understand what He was doing was for my good.
No matter who you are, there will be periods of time in which you feel more emotional than usual. You may wake up one morning and feel like breaking down and crying for no reason. That may last a day or a week, or it may last longer. You may think, What is my problem?
During those times you have to be careful, because your feelings will get hurt very easily. The slightest thing will set you off. There were times in my life when I would go to bed praying, feeling as sweet as could be, then wake up the next morning like I had stayed up all night eating nails! I would get up in such a foul mood that if anyone came near me or crossed me, I felt like hitting them on the head!
What should we do when we start feeling that way? First of all, we shouldn't allow ourselves to fall under condemnation. Secondly, we shouldn't get confused trying to figure out what is happening. What we should do is simply say, ”This is one of those times when my emotions are being tried and with G.o.d's help I am going to be stable. We cannot always control how we feel, but we are in control of our decisions. Part of growing up in G.o.d is learning how to hold steady in the storms of life.
We cannot always control how we feel, but we are in control of our decisions.
Several years ago my husband and I purchased a fifty-two-year-old house and began remodeling it. Shortly after we began that project I felt in my heart G.o.d wanted me to start praying about learning to be more patient. We cannot learn patience without something to be patient about, and it seemed almost everything with the house started going wrong and there was nothing anyone could do to rush the process.
The remodeling turned into a bigger project than we thought it would be, and we needed to move in, but couldn't. I became really angry and acted in a way that did not reflect my teachings on emotions! The Bible says in Psalm 94:1213 that blessed is the man whom G.o.d disciplines until he learns to keep himself calm in adversity.
Sometimes G.o.d allows us to go through some trying times so we will have the opportunity to learn how to control our emotions. The Bible says G.o.d will never allow any more to come upon us than we are able to bear (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). G.o.d will test our emotions and help us learn stability because it's only when we're stable that we can truly enjoy life and be a good example to other people.
CHAPTER 61.
Be Mentally Prepared I have often heard that after a person goes through a real emotional high, he will usually bottom out with an emotional low. We see this in the life of Elijah the prophet in the book of 1 Kings. One day he was on Mt. Carmel making a fool of the priests of Baal, calling down fire from heaven, at the height of his elation. The next day he was out in the desert sitting under a juniper tree asking G.o.d to let him die because he felt so depressed.
I have noticed when I minister in a series of meetings, I spend everything I have spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. I get so excited when I see what G.o.d is doing to help and minister to people and change their lives through those meetings, through my radio and television broadcasts, and through other outreaches in which we are involved.
But then when I return from something exciting like that to normal, everyday life, I have to exercise discipline not to be dissatisfied with ordinary life. Who wants to go from seeing G.o.d perform miracles one day to doing normal household ch.o.r.es the next?
Sometimes we think, Oh, if I could just stay on this emotional high forever then life would be great. But the truth is if we were constantly doing something emotionally exciting, it would not be long before we wouldn't appreciate those times. We need to be able to experience and be content with both sides of life. If we are only content during exciting times, it is our circ.u.mstances making us joyful, when it should be G.o.d. The apostle Paul stated that he learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where he was not disturbed) no matter what state he was in. Whether he was abounding or being abased, he remained content (see Philippians 4:1112). Don't despair if you are not at that place of stability yet. Paul said he learned it and we must do the same thing.
When I came home after those ministry trips, I couldn't understand what was wrong with me. Then I finally learned that the emotional high I experienced while being involved in the excitement of the conference left me tired physically, mentally, and emotionally and I needed to rest. Like Elijah in the desert I needed to rest and recuperate.
We simply cannot live on an emotional high with everything in our life going exactly the way we want it to. We must have contrast in order to even appreciate the good things we have.
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