For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 (KJV)
Children aren’t born with the ability to harness their emotions. When a two-year-old feels something, you’re sure to know it. Emotions dictate their every move! Over time, we develop the ability to think before we act, but sometimes we still make emotional decisions that we later regret. To live at the mercy of your emotions is exhausting, and it destroys your mind, body and relationships.
It’s not that emotions are wrong. Everything God made is good and beautiful, including your ability to feel! At the same time, acting on our emotions can sometimes bring destruction if we don’t learn a better way.
Let me tell you a story about my mother-in-law, who is an amazing woman. Her life wasn’t easy. She raised eight kids in a tiny, two-bedroom house while her husband worked night shifts. I once interviewed her and asked how she handled it all. When I asked what she did for herself to make it through, she looked at me like I was crazy and said, “I don’t know! Who thinks about that?”
That conversation made an impact on me. Although she had plenty of reasons to give in to stress or react emotionally, she wouldn’t even let her mind go there. Of course, I’m not saying we shouldn’t look after ourselves, however, we can’t allow our emotions to run our lives!
When you feel like withdrawing, quitting, giving up, or striking out at someone, you can decide instead to set your mind on God’s Word and the things of the Spirit. As you do, you’ll begin to experience God’s peace—the kind of peace that surpasses all understanding and helps you weather life’s storms.