Are You Struggling with Heavy Emotions?
Photo by Claudia Barbosa
Do you let your emotions tell you what is real? Or do you let the Lord tell you what is real?
Many, many people allow their emotions to tell them what the truth is. They reason within themselves, “I feel this way, so it must be true. I feel scared, so this fear must be real.” Or “I feel hopeless, so it must be that the situation is hopeless. God isn’t going to save me this time.”
The enemy will try again and again to push you or trick you into believing dark, heavy emotions that keep you trapped. He uses things like discouragement, fear, shame, hopelessness, confusion, anxiety, etc. All those things feel real in the moment—but there is a greater truth.
God’s Truth Is the Best Leader
If we are led by our emotions, not by God’s truth, we will find ourselves in a deep hole we don’t know how to climb out of.
“I can’t feel God’s love, so it must be that He left.”
“I feel bad about who I am. Why would God want anything to do with me?”
“I feel like a failure, so I probably am one.”
“Every time I think about the future, I get scared, so it must be that the future is dark and horrible.”
Part of fearing the Lord is believing Him more than we believe dark emotions. Whenever we feel discouraged, afraid, or any other emotion that doesn’t “match” God in Scripture, it’s good to pause and realize we are being presented with a choice:
Will we believe what the emotion is saying—or will we trust our heavenly Father and His heart for us?
The greatest truth we have is the truth of Scripture, where God says He loves us, that He wants us as His kids, and that He will never leave us.
What Can You Do When You’re Struggling?
Saying “no” to a strong emotion is HARD WORK, but instead of just accepting the emotion as truth, we need to purposefully focus on God’s truth instead.
“I feel this way, but God’s Word says He will never leave me or forsake me. THAT is more real than what my emotions are saying.”
“I feel like I just screwed up my entire life! But the Bible says there’s no condemnation for me. THAT is the truth, even if it doesn’t feel true right now.”
“I feel anxious all the time—about everything—but God says He is helping me. THAT is more true than the anxiety.”
Don’t Be Afraid to Use Your Faith and Say “No”
Do you need to say “no” to an emotion that isn’t telling you the truth?
Beloved child of God, He is greater than what you are feeling, and He knows everything:
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:19–20 NIV)
What has God told you?
Which Scripture verses contradict the heaviness in your heart today?
Don’t be afraid to trust Him, even when your emotions are saying the opposite. One day you will look back and be glad you trusted Him. Those who trust in Him are not disappointed (Ps. 22:5).
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.