Posts Tagged ‘emotions’

Psalm 51;9-10

Spiritual Depression: #6 “Feelings,” a sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

 


My thoughts:

In 2 Timothy 2:1:6 Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift of God.”

This sermon was very good and it pointed out many ways I could pursue the subject of feelings and the Christian. But, I think I’ll focus on Christian people who have panic disorder and how feelings come into play with them. I was once one of those people so I can identify with that.

What do we do with our feelings?  If you have panic attacks you know feelings play a very important part in them.  In my book, Panic Buster, I talk about that “first feeling.”  That is the feeling you get that alerts you that you might be going to have a panic attack.  For me that first feeling was a rapid and strong heart beat I became so aware of.  It made my mind race and think the “what if” thoughts.  I could not get my mind off of my feelings.  First the rapid heart rate, then the sweaty palms, then the weak legs and so on.  These were not good feelings; and guess what? They were controlling me.  My feelings were taking over my mind and I was on my way to a full-blown panic attack. Feelings!  It seemed they were my worst enemy!

I never really did understand my feelings back then.  I didn’t know they could not be trusted.  I didn’t know they were controlling me.  Now, in looking back, I can see it clearly.  My feelings took over and caused me to be an unproductive Christian person.  I was at their beck and call.  I was their slave.  I was a slave to fear!

Feelings aren’t bad really.  God created us with feelings, and God even has feelings.  He can be angry, loving, kind, and jealous.  These are all feelings or emotions.  He made us that way.  It is only when our feelings get out of control that they are bad.

So my take-away from this sermon is that we need self-control over our feelings.  The good new is  we as believers have the Holy Spirit living in us therefore we can have self-control because it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He supplies it.

Gal 5:22-23 NASB But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Do you realize a believer has a big edge over an unbeliever in conquering panic attacks?  That’s right!  We are not the same at all.  They do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives and the power He supplies.  They are left to their own resources to battle fear.  It is a losing battle!  I know I tried it before I was a Christian, and I hit bottom. We have been blessed with the power which comes from on high.  It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.  Isn’t that wonderful?  If you suffer from anxiety, stress, and panic attacks and are a Christian than you have hope.  You can get better!

It was after I became a Christian that I began to get well.  I read and studied my Bible.  I learned what the God of all creation was telling his children and there were many lessons for me.  I put them to work in my life and I did get well again.

If there is any sin in our lives we must admit it, confess it to God, and turn from it.  We need to hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Mat 5:6 KJV Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

What does this mean?  We need to desire deeply to please God.  And, the only way we can do that is by studying the Word and then obeying it.  Do you know that worry is a sin?  Again, here we need self-control over our thoughts and feelings.  The person who has panic disorder worries.  Worry won’t help anything and is in fact a waste of time.  It makes us more anxious and contributes to take us down the road to more panic attacks.  So, this is a sin that we must confess, and repent of.  Seek God’s face and turn from your sin and you can again have self-control over your feelings.

Learn to enjoy your feelings!  There are many good ones.

 

 

 

 

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           Our Cardinal Friend

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Proverbs 4:20-27 (NIV)

My son pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to the those who find them
and health to a man’s whole body.
  Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
  Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil. 

 

There is a wealth of good health in this portion of scripture.  This is advice given to a young man, but it can be applied to any one of us.  First he tells his son to really pay attention and remember what he is about to say as it is very important.  We should do the same. He says to keep these words in our hearts.  The wisdom of these Words make a man’s whole body healthy.  They are life to him. 

When the Bible speaks of the heart it is speaking of the center of the human spirit, from which springs forth our emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage and actions.  If we store up good things in our hearts, our words and actions will flow forth with good things.

He says, “above all else,” or most important…guard your heart, because our life springs forth from it.  The heart “is the wellspring of life.”  All these things flow out of it as an overflowing water well springs forth water.

Then he tells us some things we need to do to achieve this good health. 

1. We need to watch how we talk.  How we talk reflects what we’ve been thinking about.  It also shows what is at our core.  Christians are not to talk trash as the world does.  It is very interesting, but if you listen closely while someone talks you can pretty much discover their relationship to God.

Matthew 12:34 “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

2. We need to be careful what we look at.  Are the movies we watch honorable to the Lord?  What about the T.V. programs we watch?  Would we be comfortable if the Lord Jesus Christ was sitting right there with us? There are many examples such as magazines, Internet, and even watching other people that we can include here. 

3. We need to take heed to where we walk.  We are not to swerve to the left or to the right in order to keep us from walking into evil behavior.  Are you mindful of where you hang out and if it is pleasing to God?  Sometimes we need to avoid certain places and friends so that we won’t be tempted.

4. We need to watch our thoughts also.  Our minds are fragile and we must protect them.  Are you aware of what you think about most of the time? 

(Philippians 4:8)  Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

These are the things we should be thinking about.  You can examine your thoughts against the above scripture.  If they are out of line you can pray and ask the Lord to bring your thoughts where they should be.

Attaining to these things is not automatic or even easy.  But, If you make a serious effort the Lord will help you and then you too can have a healthy and happy life.

 

 

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