If you are just reading this be sure to also read “Living with Emotions Part 1”, “Living with Emotions Part 2“, “Living with Emotions Part 3“, “Living with Emotions Part 4“ and “Living with Emotions Part 5“. As you know the first part was an overview, the second part was all about anger, the third part was on fear, fourth part was on sadness and fifth part was on joy. We are now on the final installment of this series, our wrap up.
This whole series was started because we were invited to go to a family movie night from Gateway Community Church in Pooler to watch a movie called “Inside Out”. That was a really powerful movie. Before we went to see that I had an idea for my next article but after I saw that movie I knew without a doubt I had to write about the movie. That was where part one the overview came from.
So I wrote what I felt I needed to write. But after I wrote it and posted it, I felt like there was a need to hit each emotion more in depth. I knew that the overview just wasn’t enough. I felt like God was nudging to get more out of me. So as I sat there that night, I knew what I needed to do. This whole series was born out of that.
You just never know where God is going to lead you, but you have to be willing to follow when you know he is nudging. I really felt like I was following the path he wanted me to go. As I began writing on each emotion, things started happening inside of me. I don’t just write to spread what I feel about God to help change people. But I also write to help change me because this is how God works.
I have heard many preachers say that when they preach, they learn through the preaching as much as the people at church. I have also heard that if you want to learn anything to go teach that subject to someone. You will learn not only more than you know, but you will also learn more about yourself too.
I really believe that to be true because every time I write, something happens on the inside of me. I can’t explain it but it happens and I like how it makes me feel. I also feel people need to hear how following where God is calling you can change your heart. It changes who you are. I see people all the time say I am who I am and nothing will change that. I always like to challenge them and say, “Don’t allow who you think you are to stop you from becoming who God called you to become!”
Think about my last statement. Is that not true? This ties perfectly into emotions because people allow their emotions about life to dictate who they become. God is saying, “NO”, don’t allow that to be you. Allow me to use you in the way I see fit because until you fully surrender to God, you won’t see what he sees.
Emotions are a funny thing, they control who you are in most cases. When you feel sad, they change how you see the world at that moment. When you are happy, they change how you see the world at that moment. When you are angry, they change how you see the world at that moment. Your emotions in many cases will make or break who you are. It is up to you to keep them in check. It is up to you to feel each emotion the way God created you to feel them.
Yes, I believe in my heart that God did create us to feel emotions. I mean, if he didn’t wouldn’t he just have created robots because they don’t feel anything? We were meant to live an emotional life. At the same time, we can’t allow those emotions to not only control what we say or do, but also control who we become.
When you are following God, many times at the beginning of that calling you will be so excited because it’s new. But as time goes on and if you are not there yet, that same emotion will turn into frustration. If you allow frustration to creep into you then you will pull yourself out of the calling God has for your life right now.
I was talking with a friend of mine recently and he was telling me a story about a friend that spent 10 years in prison. Before the 10 years in prison, this guy knew he had a big calling for his life from God. This same guy is now out of prison and depressed because he feels that calling is gone from his life. As long as he thinks the calling is gone, he will not have the joy that God created.
He is allowing his emotions about his circumstance to destroy his outlook on God’s calling. Does this mean he has the same calling? Probably not, so we can pull out of our calling at any time, that is on us. When we do things to bring us back to God, God will have another calling if the calling we had doesn’t make sense anymore.
This is why so many people fail to figure out God’s calling. They think once you have messed up in life, then your calling is over. That is far from the truth. Yes, the calling you had may be over, but you have to look at what is next. You can’t look at what you had.
Let me give you an example. How many times do you see an athlete that is truly gifted from God get into his senior year of high school and have a career ending injury? It happens sometimes, but that athlete has to figure out what God’s calling is on his life from that moment. Because if he doesn’t, then life will become a rut and he could find himself in an even more depressing situation.
I don’t believe that we are all called to just one thing in life and that is it. If that were true then if you messed that up, your life for God is over. That is far from the truth. What I believe is that we are called at any given time from God. God uses us at that moment for his purpose.Yes, he may have bigger things planned for you but he also calls us in the moment. Because, in truth, we can only live moment to moment.
I hope and pray that you got something out of this series. Are you ready to become who you were meant to be without allowing your emotions to get in the way?
Ask God to help you see where you need to change when it comes to your emotions. Ask him to help you see the good and bad of each of your emotions. Ask him to give you the courage to step out on faith for his calling in spite of your emotions. Ask him to allow you to see the world through his eyes and to give you a calling that you have to have faith to pursue! Then go do it! AMEN!
Living a God-Inspired Life,
Chris Benton
Part 1 of 6
Part 2 of 6
Part 3 of 6
Part 4 of 6
Part 5 of 6
Part 6 of 6