• 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 Christ

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)
• If you don’t control your emotions they   will control you.

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

Why do we have our emotions?

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

As you move your hand toward the flame, your nerve sensors tell you will be burned if you don’t change your action!

• Using your emotions 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.

Emotions Influence Behavior

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

Emotions of Jesus

• 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 11:¹⁵ And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; ¹⁶And would not suffer that any man should carry anyvessel through the temple. ¹⁷And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
• He felt compassion – Matt 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 – Matt 27:⁴⁶ 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?

Negative emotions include:resentment, anger, fear, jealousy, envy, hurt feelings, lust, worry. These emotions are just signals but you and I can react in a negative way. Jesus wants to help us learn how to understand our emotions and how to manage our emotions.

Jesus understands!

Hebrews 4:¹³Neither 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.

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, you feel:

4) What you are feeling most right now is:

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

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

Our focus – 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.

Our challenge – 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 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