It’s Just Emotion?
Prov 14:30 NIV
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
It was The Bee Gees who wrote the song "Emotion" that came out in 1977. The lyrics of the slow disco song that went to number three on the Billboard chart, were “"It's just emotion that's taken me over Tied up in sorrow, lost in my soul" People can relate to the emotions that seem to take over and tie us up in sorrow but according to our verse for today emotions can do more than take us over, they can do damage.
What takes place in our inner life has an impact on our entire life. Most of us have experienced deep troubling emotions that keep us up at night or wear us down during the day. Solomon, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares that jealousy or envy impacts our long-term physical health. I can only imagine the pressure involved with being the president of the United States. But to see the physical difference of most every president from the beginning of the term until the end is stark. We know anxiety and worry can age us. Our proverb for today says the negative emotions can hurt us. I am not implying that everyone who has become sick is a result of negative emotions in their lives. But we have to recognize the damage that can be done and look to eradicate the toxic emotions and not give them a chance to do damage.
The antidote for negative emotions is a heart that is full of peace. Joy and peace in our hearts have a positive effect on our physical and mental health. A verse we have looked at in our Wednesday night services has been Romans 15:13 NIV “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The greater our trust, the greater our joy and peace. If you have ever been in a situation where you had to trust someone that you did not know, it can be a bit unsettling. Compare that with trusting someone that has proved themselves to be trustworthy for years. That’s an entirely different story. The peace that comes with trust is real. And the peace that comes with trusting God is real also. And not only real but really good for our whole person.
When the negative emotions come - talk to the Lord about them and work on rooting them out. He will help you as you trust Him. This doesn’t mean the process is always easy, but it’s doable and possible for us because we believe.
Prayer
Lord I trust in You and I have peace. Help me root out the negative emotions that want to take me over. I don’t want to live tied up in sorrow, envy or anger.