Identity: I AM...Emotions

Circumstances=Emotions=Possible Change of Identity

We all have emotions. The definition of, "Emotion" is...an intense mental state that arises subjectively rather that through conscious effort. So emotions just emerge from deep within us. The sad thing is that most people allow emotions to consume them, making them not live in the true identity the God has made put them in, The Identity discussed in an early post (Identity: I AM...just a sinner saved by grace).

Last night we set out to understand emotions and how to not to allow the emotions of life to be our identity.

First we looked at the vastness of human emotions. Here are some that we identified as most prevalent in us and the people that surround us: affection, love liking, attraction, lust (2), cheerfulness, happiness, satisfaction, zest (3), pleasure, pride (2), enthrallment, annoyance, anger, fury, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, torment, depression, sadness, melancholy, guilt, insecurity, pity, alarm, fear, terror, nervousness, & worry. Each of these were talked about in small groups and where pulled from a pretty exhaustive list of human emotions. Each group was instructed to look through the list and identify the top 5 emotions, in there opinion, that consume teenagers, making them live the identity of the emotion instead of the identity of Christ. Example: A known believer is also known for his/her explosive outbursts of profanity and rage when this person doesn't get their way or is in a confrontation. The emotion just consumed their true identity.

Emotions are not sins! what we do with the emotions that emerge at different times in our lives will determine is we sin or not. Whenever an emotion consumes a believer in Jesus to the point that the emotion is not controlled by the Spirit of God that is in us, then we sin.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us,
"Do you not now that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others. I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

Q. - What does this have to do with emotions and being consumed by them?
A. - You have to, "Beat (your) body and make it (your) slave"

WHAT?

In everything of life that we are told or instructed to do, we need to ask a question...Y.B.H. (Yeah, But How?) So when I say, "We can't let the emotions that emerge from within us consume us, resulting in our identity to be changed." you need to say, "Yeah, but how...bodunkle?" So here is how. I do want to clarify on thing. There comes a point that if we ask this question that we avoid what we already know and in essence deny truth to be part of our life. So don't be the kid that is always in this conversation...

kid "Y.B.H?"
person "answer given."
kid "Y.B.H.?"
person "answer given."
kid "Y.B.H.?"

You get the picture...the "WHY?" kid. DON'T BE THAT KID!

Here's the answer to the question you just asked, "Yeah, but how do i beat my body and make it my slave?"...You have to be Chronically F.A.T.!

F.aithful - We have to be faithful to the Identity that God has made us into. He was done a great thing in us, and we need to be faithful the what He has done...be faithful to Him! Love Him with all that we are, and show a dark and dying world His love!

Y.B.H.?

A.vailable - It is impossible to be faithful to God and His identity in us if we do not make ourselves available to Him. Two things have to be part of our life for us to be available to God. We have to communicate with Him through prayer & we have to listen to Him through His word! When we don't do these things as individuals, or families, we can not be faithful on a continual basis.

Y.B.H?

T.eachable - For us to be willing to make our self available to God, we have to have a certain type of mind set. We have to have an attitude that we want to be taught. If that is part of who we are then we will make our self available to the Lord to do His thing in our life through Prayer and His Word.

Y.B.H bodunkle? I see the flow, but I don't want to be taught. I know God has transferred me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son that He loves, but I am just not F.A.T. right now. Here my response, and we will be looking at this in more depth later, Pray that you would believe, or have more faith in what God has accomplished in you. The Y.B.H. stops here. You have to cry out to God to do a work in you that I can not teach you or put in you. That is between you and Him.

Start that prayer today as a family!