In this study series we look at the problems our emotions sometimes cause us. Emotions can cause you to lose focus and become sidetracked in the unique race God has set out for you to run successfully.

1) What are emotions?

● Emotions are a valuable part of you! (can’t get an emotion-ectomy)

● You are entitled to your emotions! (No one can tell how another should feel)

2) Why do you have your emotions?

● Emotions are part of your body’s signal system, neither right nor wrong of themselves.

(What is causing this feeling? – the present or the unresolved-past?)

3) Emotions Influence Behavior

● Attitudes influence emotions, which influence behavior

Is your attitude self-affirming or self- degrading?

● If you don’t control your emotions they will control you.

Control isn’t burying/suppressing emotion but to set boundaries around it

● Behavior reflects your response to those emotional signals

Does your behavior indicate you are in control or your emotions are in control?

● When behavior reflects an out of balance emotion, the better response was not chosen

● Negative emotions sap my energy –

– help me to blame others or things rather than taking responsibility for myself

– signal a need to change my response to the emotion

4) Feeling pain is not a sign of failure

(Society encourages us to put on a “happy face” and hide real feelings)

● Emotional pain does not make you a 2^nd class Christian

● Emotional pain does not signal a failed relationship with Jesus Christ

● Using your emotions (even when they hurt) for their real purpose (signals) is taking

responsibility for your response to your emotions

●The greater your self-awareness the more you can control yourself.

5) Emotional pain blurs God’s reality

• If you don’t see God for Who He is, you can’t see yourself for who you are in Jesus Christ

6) Your Christian life is a growing process

• If any man be in Christ – 2 Corinthians  5:

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new

1 Peter 2:

¹Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

² As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

• What should you expect of newborns and youths?

7) Jesus experienced emotions but He controlled them – they did not control Him

He wept – John 11:

³⁵ Jesus wept

He loved – Mark 10:

²¹ Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

He was angry – Mark 3:

⁵ And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

He felt compassion – Matthew 9:

³⁶ But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

He felt abandoned – Matthew 27:46

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

He felt joy – Hebrews 12:

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

8) Jesus provides help for controlling your emotions in Hebrews 4:

¹¹ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

¹² For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

¹³ Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

So let us run the race He has set before us looking unto Jesus,

Coach Pattii