Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4 NAS)
Strong feelings can bring much joy as well as sorrow, and we know we need to manage our emotions well in order not to crumble under excessive grief. In a sermon on ‘Emotions: Out of Control–No More,’ Dr Larry Hutton of the Larry Hutton Ministries shared some thoughts on how we can gain control of our lives and not live in emotional rollercoaster.
The first thing we need to know to rid ourselves of the emotional baggage we carry is we do not need to let our emotions control us. Anger, grief, sorrow, worry, causes of distress, depressive feelings—all these Christ has bore and carried on our behalf (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Our Lord has given us His peace (John 14:27), the peace which surpasses all comprehension that guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). We can have complete peace because joy and peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and the Spirit is in us. The fruit of Spirit is non-seasonal and available at all times.
How can we be bold, courageous, and at peace in the face of tribulation? We can because in the world we have tribulation, but Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). There is no need for us to yield to fear or the stress of this world, for they are powerless on us. When negative feelings come our way—real or perceived—we need not allow them to overtake us because they are powerless.
Humble ourselves and cast our cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:6-7). We need not hang on to our cares. Instead we should take heed not to be weighted down with dissipation or the worries of life, lest our negative emotions and feelings remain in our lives to trap us (Luke 21:34). The cares of this world can choke us, even if we were once fruitful (Mark 4:15-19), which can happen when we yield to our emotions. Satan is always stirring up our emotions to create cares in our lives. He is the source of our stirred emotions. Remember, Jesus has defeated the devil and rendered him powerless.
As believers in Christ, we can live in peace all the time because Jesus has bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24), and has carried upon Himself our cares and emotions (1 Peter 5:6-7). Our Lord has left us His peace, which He has freely given to us, not as the world gives, that our hearts might not be troubled nor fearful (John 14:27). No one is able to steal or rob us of our peace that the Lord has given to us.
Thank You, dear Lord, for bearing our sins, cares, and emotions. Help us Lord not to continue to carry our emotional baggage, but cast them all on You. Comfort us, Holy Spirit, in our distress that we may not yield to negative emotions or depressive feelings. Grant us Your peace which surpasses all comprehension, and guard our hearts and minds, that in calmness we may stand firm and unshaken, always looking and moving ahead in control of our emotions. We bless You Lord and glorify Your name because in You there is no need to fear or be distressed, for You have overcome the world.
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