Unless you learn to discipline your emotions you will lose credibility, alienate others and miss great opportunities. Your emotions are sending you a message. If you do not get a handle on this you will create a mess you will not be able live with. Yes, you will repent and regret it, but you will not be able to undo it.
Most of us have inner response mechanism that reacts to people and events and like a sudden storm rises with strength from within, sometimes overwhelming us. As you go through life people will offend you. Sometimes it will be deliberate, other times it will be inadvertent. The question is – what will you do about it?
Spiritually mature people discipline their emotions and make sure they accurately reflect reality. They can be sad, joyful, angry or elated in appropriate ways at appropriate times. They refuse to allow their emotions to determine their conduct, attitude, or choices.
You are controlling your emotions when you translate them into responsible action. And your sentiments will not get you off the hook. There is nothing more dangerous than the repeated experience of a fine emotion with no attempt to put it into action. In a sense it is true to say that a person has no right to feel sympathy, unless he or she at least tries to put that sympathy into action. An emotion is not something in which to luxuriate; it is something which at the cost of effort and of toil, of discipline and of sacrifice, must be turned into the stuff of life.
God wants you to use wisdom. Wisdom says wait a little while until the emotions settle down, then check to see if you really believe it is the right thing to do. The Bible says in Colossians 3:15 to be led by peace in making decisions. Do not let your emotions make your decisions. A good statement to remember is this: “Wisdom says wait; emotions say hurry.”
He who lives by emotions lives without principle. Make emotional maturity a primary goal in your life!
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