The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 4: Our Emotional Being
MESSAGE SUMMARY: If we maintain our interior life, we can be His vessels of light in the world. We must awaken and maintain our inner lives as vigorously as we maintain our public lives – to take care of our souls and spirits as much as we take care of our bodies. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner life and the maintenance of the inner man:
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 4: Our Emotional Being
MESSAGE SUMMARY: If we maintain our interior life, we can be His vessels of light in the world. We must awaken and maintain our inner lives as vigorously as we maintain our public lives – to take care of our souls and spirits as much as we take care of our bodies. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner life and the maintenance of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We are emotional beings, and we are made in the likeness of God – God is emotional; He loves, but He gets angry at sin. However, we don’t all have the same emotional makeup. Emotions are neither good nor bad, but how emotions are expressed impact others positively or negatively. Also, when we wrongly express our emotions, we often pay the price with health problems. Therefore, when we sin with our emotions, we interfere with our relationship with God.
Some suggestions for positively dealing with our emotions include: 1) Commit to express feelings in a Godly manner; 2) Nail past wounds and hurts to the Cross with Jesus; 3) Ask God for inner healing; 4) Understand generational patterns; 5) Take responsibility for personal emotions – stop blaming others; 6) Intentionally express emotions with appropriate words – emotions come wholly from within; and 7) Constantly remember God’s presence is with us. What would happen if we really lived our lives knowing that God is always with us?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 21:12-13; Proverbs 14:29-30; Ephesians 4:31-32; Galatians 2:20.
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