Basics

Emotions are a valuable, God-given part of you! You can’t get an emotionectomy

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

Emotions provide signals about what is going on around you and within you.

As you move your hand toward the flame, your nerve sensors tell that you will be burned if you don’t change your action!  So it is with the sensors of emotions.

You are entitled to your emotions! (No one has the right to tell you how you should feel)

You are responsible only for your own emotions not for the emotions of someone else.

How you react to your emotion may be right or wrong.

How someone else feels in response to you is their responsibility not your responsibility

Using your emotions for their real purpose (signals) is taking responsibility for your response to your emotions. Control isn’t burying or suppressing emotion but setting boundaries around it

The greater your self-awareness the more you can control yourself and how you react to your  emotions.

Feeling emotional 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

Emotions Influence Behavior

• Attitudes influence emotions, which influence behavior
• Behavior reflects your response to those emotional signals
• When behavior reflects an out of balance emotion, the better response was not chosen
• Negative emotions sap your energy
• Negative emotions help you to blame others or things rather than taking responsibility for yourself
• Negative emotions signal a need to change your response to the emotion
• Negative emotions include anger, fear, worry, jealousy, envy, lust

Jesus understands each emotion you feel and He can help. Hebrews 2;

⁵ For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

⁶ But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

⁷ Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

⁸ Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

¹⁰ For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

¹¹ For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

¹² Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

¹³ And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

¹⁴ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

¹⁶ For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

¹⁷ Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

¹⁸ For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Questions for reflection

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

2) What are your emotions currently telling you?

3) When someone tells you that you shouldn’t feel that way, how do you respond?

4) What are you feeling most right now?

5) Is your life short-circuited by a negative emotion? Which one?_____________

6) Is your attitude self-affirming or self-degrading?

7) What does it matter to you that Jesus took on human flesh like you?i

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.

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti