Guard Your Heart and Control Your Emotions

May 1, 2024 Cathy

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

NOTE: as always this is only an outline; more is discussed on the podcast.

Emotion: a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as a strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body. a state of feeling the affective aspect of consciousness.

Emotions do serve a purpose, for example when we lose our peace; this is a signal that we need to adjust something. However, emotions are also fickle and unreliable. Making decisions and living by feelings is an improper use of our emotions. Emotions will destroy us if they control us.

Proverbs 4:20-27 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

SIN IS CONCEIVED THROUGH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

Ephesians 4:17-19 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

We don’t want to be controlled by our emotions.
We need to have a purpose and goal orientated in our life.
To keep our mind on God we need to be focused.
Consistently be re-evaluating to make sure we on the right assignment.
If you are wasting time and not moving forward, you are living like a non-believer.
Ponder on things and don’t be superficial.
You can alienate yourself from God by being ignorant.

James 1:13-15 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, God is tempting me. God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Lust: a strong, overwhelming emotion.
You can’t do anything without thinking about it first in your emotions.
You can choose how you react to people and how they hurt you.
You can’t do anything without your emotions being in check.
Every time you give into depression, anxiety, etc. you are having intercourse with the devil. [spoken by Andrew Wommack]

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Mark 4:19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

You can’t go anywhere in your physical body where you haven’t gone with your emotions.
The lust of other things chokes the Word.
Lust is the conception process.
You cannot sin without your emotions, or desires, being involved.
If you deal with the conception of your thoughts and emotions, you won’t have to deal with the actions.

YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS!

Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

You can choose how you want to be!
Your emotions are where you conceive sin and your problems begin.
You are accountable for your emotions.

Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he

You cannot go somewhere in your physical body that you haven’t been first in your mind first.

Colossians 3:1-3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

WE WILL HAVE TROUBLE- BUT WE CAN CHOOSE HOW WE RESPOND

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

2Timothy 3:14-17 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Operate in joy and focus on thanksgiving.
God holds us accountable for our emotions.
We are so blessed and need to be sooo thankful
We should be thanking God constantly.
Recognize that emotions are the driving force of everything we do, they are good if they are bridled.

1 Corinthians 10:13 the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Whenever you don’t have the fruit, you are not walking in the Spirit, we are operating in the flesh.
These things should be a warning that you in the flesh when I’m against the fruit.
When you are walking in the Spirit, you will be more consistent.
Don’t blame other people, you cannot control them; you can only control yourself.
If you don’t control your emotions, then you can’t control sin.

FOCUS ON THANKSGIVING

There is always something you can praise God for.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice.

This is a choice that I can make.
May not feel joy, but I have the fruit.
Need to rejoice by faith if I don’t feel joy.
If feelings go against the Word reject them.

Psalm 34:1-3 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

Again, we can choose to do this whether we feel like it or not.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.

Peace isn’t something you can pray for.
Peace is given when you seek the Lord.
Focus is on the wrong thing if you don’t feel the love of God.

1 Samuel 30:3-6 When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more. David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

David encouraged himself in the Lord and everything was restored.
Encourage yourself in the Lord.
Are you going to magnify the good or the bad?

The Holy Spirit doesn’t deal with you over actions but over the attitude of your heart.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER ON

Do you believe that your emotions rule you or do you have them under control?
What desires do you have that you know are of God? (Psalm 37:4.)
What desires do you have that you know are not of God?
What are you going to do about them?