Tuesday, February 2, 2021
But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.
Proverbs 1:33
The Two Most Powerful Emotions – Love and Fear
Our emotions are powerful, and we all know that if we don’t control them, they
will control us. Love is the most powerful emotion we will experience. Love can
propel us to do all kinds of things – good or bad. It motivates us to rearrange
our whole life in order to make and hold space for those we love. There is not
much we would not do for those that we love deeply. God loves us with a love
deeper than we can ever imagine. Our salvation is based on that love that He
had for us while we were still sinners.
But God, being rich in
mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we
were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you
have been saved…
Ephesians 2:4-5
But God… I have heard that a
lot lately and it really is the two most important words. But God
– because of these two words we are forgiven with complete grace and mercy, and
a sacrifice was made so that we could have eternal life. The rest of our lives – the relationships we
have, the way we love others, should all flow from those words. But God…
If not for God, and what He has done for us, we could not love others with grace
and mercy. If not for these two words, we cannot accept others in grace and
mercy.
But
God – these two words actually give more power to love than
anything else ever has. But God did what He did for us out of love, so
we can love others with grace and mercy too.
The Devastation of Fear
When someone we love is threatened, the first thing we feel is incredible fear,
especially when there is nothing we can do. Sometimes we mistakenly think we
have some control, and we begin manipulating the situation. We would do
anything for those we love, and if they are threatened, there is certainly
nothing we wouldn’t do to stop it or protect them. Any mother knows exactly
what the term “Momma Bear” means. As mothers, our greatest fear in life
is our children getting hurt and us not being able to prevent it and protect
them or keep them safe. This fear can certainly turn into an irrational fear that
steals our joy and causes us to control our child’s life so much that it steals
their freedom and joy and hurts the mother/child relationship.
Anytime we allow fear to control our relationships, the
relationship will suffer. And anytime we allow fear to control us, our lives
will suffer. Living in fear is devastating because it can take every ounce of
joy from your living. It can exhaust us and affect us physically. Fear can get us so bound up that we literally cannot
think straight. It can capture every rational thought and replace it with the
most irrational fear, that leads to another, that leads to another, and the
cycle continue s. At these times is so important to remember what we know – God’s
truth.
When fear gets in, there is only one answer and that is to
surrender our fears to God. Go to Him, sit and just be in His presence. Then tell Him your fears. Trust Him with your feelings and emotions and ask Him to give you peace.
