Do Emotions Control Us?

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I observed that many people are ruled by their emotions. Unlike some who advocate "going by their feelings", I personally do not believe it is good to be controlled by our feelings.

The right thing just needs to be done...regardless of how we feel.

I have seen too many cases of people around stop persevering in doing what is right, because they get overwhelmed by feelings of disappointment of past failures or past hurts. I have seen others stop serving because they "don't feel the passion" or are "too tired" to do so anymore. How often do we hear of couples divorcing because "they do not feel the romance" in their relationship anymore?

Imagine the consequences if our Lord Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, decided to follow His feelings at that time and scrapped the plan to go to the cross?

If we are serious about following Jesus, I think it will do us good to inject an additional dose of emotional stability into our lives, so that we will always CHOOSE to do the right thing, regardless of how we feel. The way to do it is to put COMMITMENT before our FEELINGS.

We need to remember that we will have to answer to God for all our choices & actions. Sure, people hurt us and disappoint us, shit happens in life, things don't often go the way we want them to. But in the sight of God, after all that He has done for us, is it a legitimate excuse to be wilful and choose not to follow God's way just because some of our own small (and often petty & selfish) desires are not met?

We need to remember Paul's teachings:

Do you not know 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. (2 Cor 9:27)

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5)

We need to be strict with ourselves to control our thoughts & emotions, so that it will not get in the way of our obedience to God. NEVER let our feelings control and determine for us our level of obedience to God.

Remember again our Lord's example in the Garden of Gethesamane:

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (Matt 26:39,42)

Our Lord did not compromise His commitment and obedience to God, regardless of His state of emotions or the circumstances. It is high time that we, who call ourselves His disciples, to learn to do the same.
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