How many of you remember the hit song by Barbra Streisand, Feelings?
Oh, my you’re probably thanking me for that memory.
Anyway, I want to revisit some important truths about how thoughts and emotions work together.
The Apostle Paul more than any other NT writer emphasized the importance of taking every thought captive and bringing under the authority of God’s Word.
He did not say take emotions captive; he said thoughts.
Why? Simply, because thoughts precede emotions.
What I think on determines what I feel.
How many of you have read a novel or watched a movie and found yourself emotionally moved by it even though it’s a work of fiction.
It’s not reality, but it still provokes an emotional response.
Folks, the everyday battle we face with the enemy takes place between our ears.
He tries to provoke anxiety, fear, anger, depression and many more debilitating emotions by introducing thought patterns that once ruminated on will provoke these feelings.
On the heels of these emotions, he launches accusations and then follows with deception or lies against God, self, and others.
Boom!
He springs the trap and we are caught in bondage to his lies.
God wants us to:
- Know Truth;
- believe truth;
- act on truth and then
- feel truth…in that order.
Satan wants us to:
- feel his emotions;
- know his lies;
- believe his lies and
- act out of those lies so that we self destruct and take others with us.
Beloved, emotions are a good thing only if they are the product of thinking on what is true, lovely, honorable, of good repute, excellent and praise worthy.
Not all of your thoughts originate with you.
While the power of sin is not our master, it still dwells in the members of our body.
So, it can introduce thoughts that sound like us but it’s not the real us.
It’s an imposter.
To combat this intruder, we need to be students of the Truth, God’s Word.
We need to build an intimate knowledge of Jesus through the Word and through interacting with the Holy Spirit who is our Counselor.
If negative emotions invade, stop drop and pray asking the Lord to show you where you need to adjust your thoughts.
Maybe He will show you that you’ve believed lies that you need to renounce and replace with His truth.
Maybe there are generational lies that need to be uprooted.
The point is that once you recognize the negative peace stealing emotion, interact with the Lord to uproot it and replace it with His truth and freedom will follow.
Don’t let Satan lead you around by your emotions.
Set you mind on truth and the God of peace will be with you.
Blessings!
Robyn Henning