Balance

So often we ignore our feelings and emotions in order to put on the face of a faithful believer. This is necessary in certain things, but just because we have faith and trust in the Lord doesn't mean we don't experience pain and hardships in our lives. Each feeling attached to emotion has meaning for us. It is our feelings and emotions that help us to define our own existence in ways that are meaningful to us. So why on earth do we deny our feeling?

I've heard it said and have felt the sting of failure in the words; "how we feel is a choice". How we feel is a direct result of our ability or inability to deal with what life throws at us. How we look at how we feel is a choice. Our perception plays a huge part in our ability to deal in difficult situations, but our feelings are real and when we try to turn them off or ignore them, we totally miss the experience they are intended to offer.

Our feelings and emotions may result in the need of taking action such as forgiveness of self and others. Sometimes we need to look at the hard things and spend time thinking as we seek direction. This can be a way of moving forward even though it might require staying in that difficult place for a time allowing the Lord to complete the work he is doing. No matter how much we would like to get to the other side of pain and hardship, to deny its existence only prolongs the process of healing of hearts, mind, and spirits.

If you are dealing with something that causes you pain, remorse or grief, don't push it aside or ignore it. Instead, give yourself time and space to deal with it. Allow each heart felt tear to do as it is intended to do. Grieving takes time and healing can only truly come when we have allowed ourselves to respond to our feelings and emotions as God created us to do. Emotions and feelings are not to be denied. They are the tools necessary to give us strength and build our endurance in the process of healing and growth.

So instead of pretending these things are not real--go ahead and take action. Instead of looking away from the issues you face, look into them. Trust the outcome to God. Avoiding pain only buries the issue for a time. The pain will one day return to your life. Be it by way of a slow seepage or an eruption of emotion, the effects of denied grief and remorse will come back to haunt you and then you will find yourself right back in that painful place.

Feelings and emotions are part of God's intricate plan for human nature...the purposes are many. that is something we cannot deny;) We can live as faithful believers as we experience a life of faith and all those wonderful things in us that were created to bring that experience to its fullness. We need to find a healty balance.