Taking Control of Overwhelming Emotion
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.”
Some people are in an unhealthy relationship with themselves. We’ve all probably been there before; the question is whether we decide to make our internal home unhealthy. Emotions are neither good nor bad. It is what we do with those emotions that makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy lives.
Nick Wignall, in his article, “7 Signs You Have an Unhealthy Relationship with Your Emotions,” points out, “We assume that because an emotion feels bad, it is bad.” Our perceived bad emotions cause us to respond destructively, all with the misguided intention of healing. Yet Wignall provides helpful support when our emotions rush to the forefront of our minds.
The first misguided recommendation is to keep “Yourself Constantly Busy.” Constant busyness is simply a distraction. Distraction isn’t a cure; it just leaves you where you were when you began. Next, you “Intellectualize Your Feelings.” Looking at yourself with the eye of a PhD Psychologist is another distraction, because we are never our own best psychologist. Don’t distract from your pain, because, as Wignall points out, “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
Wignall warns that when “You’re Always Looking for Reassurance,” you will not find peace. No one else is going to fix our emotions. Inevitably, when others do not fix our emotions, we give up and “You Procrastinate a Lot.” Like other unhealthy actions, procrastination is another distraction. Finally, if you disagree with Nick Wignall and my devotion, there is one way to evaluate it further. Wignall says that those who struggle with unhealthy emotions often feel like, “You Don’t Know What You Want.” God has a calling in your life. Unhealthy emotions keep us from accepting that path, or even recognizing it.
Today, pray for those, including you and me, who sometimes struggle with unhealthy emotions. Every honest human being goes through it. Rather than work so hard, perhaps we need to get back to basics. Pray daily. Ask God to take over your emotional life for a while. When you feel emotions taking over, offer it to God and say, “God, take this one for me.” When God takes some of those emotions for us, we are freed up enough to evaluate, heal, and respond in healthier ways. Give the process a try and trust the Holy Spirit to transform your heart and mind.
