As Christians, we often think we should reject our negative emotions because they are not helpful
or godly. But, this is not true.
Hanging onto negative emotions is not healthy, but being oblivious to them is not healthy either.
As a ridiculously extreme example of someone blocking out her negative emotions, consider the following fiction scenario.
It’s a late Thursday night in September, and Stacey is driving along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, when
suddenly her black Toyota SUV stops cold in the middle of the road.
Unable to get it off the road she sits in her vehicle and remains a prime target in the crosshair of
oncoming motorists. In her rear view mirror she sees a racing cluster of head lights swerve to
the left just in time to miss her.
Stacey sees no need to make her vehicle more visible to others. She has no motivation to try to get it
moving again, nor makes any attempt to call 911.
She’s not depressed. In fact, she’s quite happy about her life. She has no negative feelings at all.
Oddly, she thinks it’s interesting to watch from inside her vehicle as the cars and trucks continue to
swerve around and barely miss hitting her.
She has no negative emotions. No inner alarm system telling her something is wrong. No awareness of
danger because she has ‘overcome’ all her negative emotions.
This bizarre story vividly communicates ~ negative emotions have value.
Clearly negative emotions are God’s gift.
Holding onto negative feelings is not healthy, but being oblivious to them is not healthy either.
You are in danger when you deny your negative emotions.
Being enough aware of them to receive their specific message for you is key.
Jesus said “. . . he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 NASB
As you think about your emotions you are practicing
• emotional intelligence
• and Relational Wisdom (Ken Sande’s 3 dimensional emotional intelligence)
• using the following questions you are practicing a portion of the Transformational Prayer Ministry.
What comes to mind as you focus on that feeling?
Why do you feel that way?
Is any portion of what you are feeling being felt towards any person or anything?
God is giving you guidance through your negative emotions along with godly counsel.
If you immediately deny, resist, or block out your negative emotions you will miss their important life-
giving messages as they match up with God’s word.
Grip of Anger
Ever get so absorbed in what you're doing that you lose track of time? Ever get totally lost in something new and interesting that you forget to feed your toads? Maybe you even lose big chunks of days because you're working on a...
Time to Make a Plan
It was one of the loneliest days of my life . . . The bus driver said it was the last stop and told me I had to get off. My little eight year old brain was a bit confused that day. The first day in my new school was really different. I loved my old school. Before my...
Loneliness Destroys
Awkward awareness shoots tingles down your spine as the words on her facebook post flash on the screen. Thrust into the midst of her raw pain and anger, intimate details bleed through her published words as if you are her bosom friend. Embarrassed for her...
Called to Wake Up!
A brief clip from the Heart Working Women Retreat Transformed: the Power of Grace in Relationship. A brief clip from the Heart Working Women Retreat. Transformed: the Power of Grace in Relationship
Purpose Grander Than We May Realize
Disconnection . . . it all starts right here. In me. Between my head and my heart. In you. Between your head and your heart, your thoughts and your feelings, your brain and your gut. We may all long for a kinder gentler country, community, church, or school, but none...
It’s a Dare!
We often don't realize we are not taking God's ways seriously. We get stuck in our emotions. It's a dare: to be open to receive God's transforming heart-work, a re-vamp of our hardwire. To "take every thought captive". Requires vigorous and total attention. Negative...
Recent Comments