Someone sent me a note today that warmed my heart and made me smile. A recent news report caused a surge of anger. God designed us to be emotional creatures for a reason. Emotions are neither bad nor good. They are sensory information. They show up involuntarily and often unexpectedly. So, we say things, like “I didn’t mean that” or “Where did that come from?” I did not decide to feel warmed by the note I received. And I didn’t plan to feel anger because of the news report.
Emotions present us with information; we decide what to do with it. There is nothing wrong with letting them have their full say as long as we realize we have the final say.
I decided to express my gratitude to the person who sent me the note, but I could have just received it in stride. I decided to dismiss my anger over the news report and turn my attention to something else, but I could have decided to join a “cause group” that deals with that issue.
Every emotion, whether positive or negative can produce a constructive outcome, if we realize it is only a servant and not our master. It works for us. We do not work for it. As it is written, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways’” (Haggai 1:5).
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