The Flame Within

As I work towards completing my counseling degree, I am realizing the importance of “emotions”.  

It’s true…  Emotions are VITALLY IMPORTANT aspect of our lives!

Emotions actually are God’s way of tuning you into an awareness of “What is actually going on inside of you?” and God’s way of  “Revealing our deepest needs, telling us when life is becoming too much… and when we NEED to slow down!”.  

God designed our emotions to help us… To guide us into KNOWING when we need more time with Him…  To aid us in knowing when “something inside of us is not quite right”.

As a society we HATE emotions… Emotions make us feel weak, insecure, and vulnerable.  We are taught to put on our “everything’s perfect faces”… and grin and bear our inner emotions.

We are taught to NEVER be vulnerable…

Friends…  this is DANGEROUS!  

In the counseling realm…  This is referred to as “suppressing” our emotions.

What does it mean to “suppress one’s emotion”- It is an individual’s strategy for regulating negative and uncomfortable emotions.  There are many suppression strategies and they’re all dangerous to our physical/spiritual/mental health.  Some tof us turn to food.. other turn to sex… keeping busy… alcohol…  and the list goes on.

Problem is the only way to “truly” resolve the root cause of painful emotions is to face them head on, contact a qualified counselor, be honest with ourselves, and “most importantly” spend quality time in honest conversation with the Lord.  

You see… The emotions are God’s way of informing us that something inside of us… NEEDS to be addressed.

Thus, when we suppress the emotions… we are causing deeper and more serious issues in our lives.  

People spend YEARS suppressing emotions…  As a result they’re overall physical/mental health suffers.

Friends, God is teaching me something called “Victorious Living”…  This is where he’s showing me how truly happy, joyful, and peaceful life can be if we take steps to freeing ourselves from the bondage of suppressed emotions.

An emotionally healthy person takes the initial hard steps to being honest with themselves and allowing God to heal us from the inside/out…  Rather than continuing in harmful suppression behaviors…  Take steps to AUTHENTIC healing, contact a qualified Christian counselor, seek Godly counsel from pastors, friends, and most importantly “BE HONEST” before God.  Be willing to push through the “temporary” uncomfortableness of dealing with the “bondage of suppression”.  Dealing with our emotions is painful…  But not near as painful as living our lives in bondage to suppressed emotions.  The act of suppressing is DESTRUCTIVE to our physical/spiritual/mental health.  The act of seeking complete healing, through facing our deepest emotions head on, “although temporarily uncomfortable”, leads to true freedom/peace/joy!  

I personally believe that suppressing our emotions is direct sin against God.

Why?

When we suppress our emotions… We aren’t trusting God is able to help us.

When we suppress our emotions… We are turning to other “destructive” world things for comfort, instead of God.

When we suppress our emotions… We are saying, “I don’t need God!”

What does the Bible say regarding “suppressing emotions”?

Romans 12:18 “As long as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”  

1 John 1:19 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness.”

Ephsians 5:18-33 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always.”

Psalm 102:1-28 “A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread. Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh.”

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Blessings, Crystal

Dear Lord,

      I praise you today!  You are able, faithful, and willing to step into our lives… into our pain and heal the root causes of our painful emotions.  Lord, you know we are human…  we are weak and needy, you created us to NEED you.  Help us Lord to utilize your true and complete healing, rather than the temporary “so-called” comforts of suppression.  Lord, allow each one of us to be drawn to you in our times of need, in our times of sadness, fear, and pain.  Lord, you are the author of healing!  Thank you for the work you’ve done and are continually doing in my life.  Thank you for walking me through the painful experiences of my childhood to the path of finding true healing.  Mold me Lord….  Make me… Create in me a new heart within me… A heart that seeks you alone and your authentic healing!  I love you Father!  Your Daughter, Crystal