Not Ruled By Emotions

Ruth

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

—Romans 6:18

Emotions can get a bad rap. And although I have found myself time and again having to keep my emotions in check when they would love to rule over me, the truth is that emotions are not the enemy. God wired us to think, feel, and act. But what we do with those emotions determines their significance.

The book of Psalms is a great example of how God is big enough to handle our honest, and often raw, emotions. Burying our emotions can be dangerous to our souls. But becoming a slave to how we feel is even more dangerous.

We can let unresolved anger or bitterness slowly eat away at our joy and peace. We can let fear steal our contentment. We can let pity parties keep us from loving others the way Christ has loved us. Or unresolved hurts from the past can follow us into the future—leading us to repeat the same sins of those who came before us.

The good news is this: we have been set free from sin—including the sin of letting our emotions rule us.

In the Bible, sin is often described as separation. Our sin can separate us from loving God and loving others. But sin is also described as slavery. Any sin or unchecked emotion can control us, promising things it can never deliver.

The apostle Paul reminded us of the good news in Romans 6:18. Even though the presence of sin is real, Jesus has broken the power of sin. We sin not because we have to, but because we choose to. We are set free to love and serve God, a Ruler who brings about love and joy and peace through His Spirit at work in us.

You don’t have to be a slave to your emotions. You too have a choice to make—likely each day, if you’re anything like me. Will I surrender and open my heart to God’s rule or let my emotions rule over me?

Choose today to walk by God’s Spirit. Be honest with God about how you feel. And then let Him rule you rather than your emotions.

Lord, search me and show me the areas of my heart that I am allowing too much control over my life. I confess those to You. I surrender to You. Come fill me with Your Spirit. Give me Your power to walk in the newness of life that is mine in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In what way have you noticed your emotions ruling over you?

How can you begin to surrender to God’s rule and not to your emotions?