Our emotions are often back seat drivers for our lives
– Don’t realize the damage they do us/others till it’s done
Our emotions control almost every aspect of our lives
– They subconsciously determine how we act or feel
God has given us emotions, but the cause of sin, they have become distorted and misaligned
Need a RESET
– We need to bring our emotions into alignment with God and his purpose for us
But life does not allow for clean resets
– Must learn to RESET IN THE MESS
– Reset during the crisis
– Reset on the move
One thing I’ve learned about emotions is that they are an overflow of what is in our heart
If the heart is sick, the whole person is sick
Guard your heart
Proverbs 4
23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
Let’s talk about how to Reset your emotions
1 – Recognize Emotional triggers
A trigger consists of a thought:
– I feel disregarded, inadequate, powerless, or unsupported; plus an emotion: anger, joy, sadness, guilt, shame, or fear. The amount of emotion(s) attached to the thought determines the size and potential impact of the trigger.
Triggers can work like dominoes.
– Once one is pushed, others follow suit. Allow God to highlight the triggers that have become rooted in your belief system. Be aware when you speak them over yourself. For example, I’m so stupid or No one cares. Recognize your triggers and replace them with godly truths.
By around seven years of age, we have sorted and re-filed all the evidence putting labels—known as triggers—on the drawers of our mind and start the comparison game, judging and comparing how we match against other children. Is she prettier? Is he more popular? etc. We keep adding evidence to prove we are right and reach adulthood wearing our own designer belief system lenses.
Meaning – We learn early on how to respond to stresses, good or bad
– And unless you recognize those patterns, they will continue to rive your life from the back seat
Examples of triggers
– Someone rejecting you.
– Someone leaving you (or the threat that they will).
– Helplessness over painful situations.
– Someone discounting or ignoring you.
– Someone being unavailable to you.
– Someone giving you a disapproving look.
– Someone blaming or shaming you.
– Someone being judgmental or critical of you.
– Someone being too busy to make time for you.
– Someone not appearing to be happy to see you.
– Someone coming on to you sexually in a needy way.
– Someone trying to control you.
– Someone being needy or trying to smother you.
Saul VS David
Saul constantly struggled with fear, jealousy, and anger
– Caused him to walk away from God
– Caused his family to no longer inherit the throne of Israel
– Caused him to pursue and try to kill his most loyal fighter and son in law
– Eventually, lead to his TOTAL demise – Emotionally, spiritually, physically, relationally
David wasn’t perfect either
– Made a whole lot of mistakes
But David was always quick to turn back to God
– would pray prayers like this
Psalm 139
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.
►By Recognizing your emotional triggers, you begin to limit their influence over the way you think and feel
2 – Learn to Disarm Emotional triggers
►You can learn that there is a problem in your life, and still choose not to fix it
– It can become another “CRUTCH” or excuse
►We do this by understanding who were are in Christ and How he views us
– Our unhealthy emotions are typically due to unhealthy mindsets about ourselves and how others view us
– Only in understanding how God views us, our “Whole” us can we begin the process of healing
►God loves you despite your failures and mistakes
– That even while you were at your worst, Jesus still has chosen you, died for you, and rescued you
– There is no previous pain too great or hurt too deep for God to heal in you. To think otherwise is to believe the lies of satan
If you have asked Jesus to be your savior, then you have been adopted into the family of God forever. No emotion is stronger than this truth
1 John 3
1 See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him.
►Never allow an unhealthy emotion to become a defining Characteristic
How do you Disarm Emotional Triggers?
Learn to discern
– Discern why you feel/think/act this way in those situations
– Bring those thoughts captive under the authority of Jesus
– Speak live from scripture over those feelings. Shine truth on lies
Romans 12
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Hard but IMPORTANT TRUTH
– You will never be “Emotionally Trigger Free”
But you can learn how to recognize and disarm them
– Keep them from driving from the back seat