How do I control my emotions instead of letting them control me? - Emotions - TouchPoints

Matthew 22:37-40Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Often, the best way to control our unhealthy desires and emotions is to strengthen our healthy ones. Loving God and loving others are the greatest desires we can promote. If we desire these two things more than anything else, our emotions and actions will begin to fall into place.

Ephesians 4:31-32Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Love, mercy, and forgiveness can overcome the bitterness of a grudge.

Mark 1:41Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”

If our emotions move us to help others, that is good. When we are moved by compassion, we should act on that emotion by helping someone in need. When moved by our love for God, we can reveal that love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.

2 Samuel 5:18-19The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”

Psalm 37:31They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.

Psalm 119:101, 105I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. . . . Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

Before acting on our emotions, we should consider what God desires. Do our plans honor him and follow his will and guidance thus far? Sometimes emotions can trick us, moving us to take actions we think are good but later discover to be harmful to us and others. Before acting, we should take time to read Scripture and pray to see if our plan is in line with God’s way. Such wise caution will save us much grief down the road.

Esther 3:2, 5-6All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect. . . . When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.

Proverbs 14:29People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

Ephesians 4:26-27And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Some emotions, like anger, can quickly grow out of control and cause us to do things we never imagined we could do. Because anger can overcome us, we must not let it fester. Instead, we should deal promptly with the situations that caused our anger in the first place.

Ephesians 4:31-32Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Forgiving others who have wronged us keeps our emotions from becoming negative, bitter, and resentful.