My book on
Biblical approach to non-organic illnesses, deals with emotions like fear,
anxiety, bitterness, anger, guilt and depression at an early stage which do not
have an organic base. The call here is to deal with these emotions at an early
stage Biblically, so one can enjoy life in fullness. In this blog I am dealing
with few dangerous emotions, and giving few guidelines and steps to tame them.
Anger and its cousins.
How to deal with anger and its cousins?
The human emotion of anger is man's number one enemy. Anger's first cousin is jealousy or envy followed by bitterness, harsh language, wrath, and ultimately the will to murder. Tolerance for anger is a self- destroying sin. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools; Ecc 7: 9.
What more shall we say about anger? We know that we have passed from death to life
(Spiritual
life) because we love our brethren. He that loveth not his brother abide to in
death (spiritually dead); 1 John 3: 14. Please refer to my blog on
depression and try to deal with anger and its cousins the following way.
1. Distrust your selfish nature; in other words one has to die to self!
2. God is at work once we commit ourselves to Him; Get out of God's way and make a list of sin- laden emotions.
3. Learn to worship God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. This journey is a process and learn to work with God’s Spirit because fallen man cannot do it on our own. In your heart learn to dwell on His Word when confronted by offensive situations. Memorize Phil 4: 6-8 and try to practice.
4. Without prescribing what, how, when and how, place your total trust in the Sovereignty, power and will of God for all decisions making in your life.
1. Distrust your selfish nature; in other words one has to die to self!
2. God is at work once we commit ourselves to Him; Get out of God's way and make a list of sin- laden emotions.
3. Learn to worship God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. This journey is a process and learn to work with God’s Spirit because fallen man cannot do it on our own. In your heart learn to dwell on His Word when confronted by offensive situations. Memorize Phil 4: 6-8 and try to practice.
4. Without prescribing what, how, when and how, place your total trust in the Sovereignty, power and will of God for all decisions making in your life.
The above steps are helpful in our journey and walk
with the Lord in our day today life.
Judgementalism and its cousins
In general angry people have the most trouble in forgiving. Those who are honest about their own short comings forgive readily. Those who ask forgiveness of others for misdeeds do not make the mistake of blaming others for their own mistakes.
15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. Prov: 25: 15.
24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. Prov: 22: 24-25
Fear:
It is important that Christians learn to confront fear and evaluate and manage the emotion of fear. There is a difference in fear for all situations and the reverential fear of God. Reverential fear of God is good, and the Bible tells us that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, Psalm 111: 10.
The fear of The Lord is clean, enduring for ever, the judgements of The Lord are true and righteous altogether, Psalm 19:9. The world pattern is completely different when one deals with fear and there is no God in their equation. Godless humanist concepts for counteracting fear may seem to work for a period of time. In this area I would like to mention people who go and get involved in occult and mediums to know their future because they have fear of the unknown. This may seem to work and bring them to a height of ecstasy and confidence for a short period, but eventually their hope and confidence collapses. To add to this the Bible says when the wicked falls the frightful hammer of truth falls upon him and his doom is for sure and the Lord will not rescue him on his day of calamity.
Judgementalism and its cousins
In general angry people have the most trouble in forgiving. Those who are honest about their own short comings forgive readily. Those who ask forgiveness of others for misdeeds do not make the mistake of blaming others for their own mistakes.
15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. Prov: 25: 15.
24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. Prov: 22: 24-25
Fear:
It is important that Christians learn to confront fear and evaluate and manage the emotion of fear. There is a difference in fear for all situations and the reverential fear of God. Reverential fear of God is good, and the Bible tells us that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, Psalm 111: 10.
The fear of The Lord is clean, enduring for ever, the judgements of The Lord are true and righteous altogether, Psalm 19:9. The world pattern is completely different when one deals with fear and there is no God in their equation. Godless humanist concepts for counteracting fear may seem to work for a period of time. In this area I would like to mention people who go and get involved in occult and mediums to know their future because they have fear of the unknown. This may seem to work and bring them to a height of ecstasy and confidence for a short period, but eventually their hope and confidence collapses. To add to this the Bible says when the wicked falls the frightful hammer of truth falls upon him and his doom is for sure and the Lord will not rescue him on his day of calamity.
The fear of failure will be vastly reduced when a
man becomes a true leader at home, not with hypocrisy but a God honouring
leader. It is important to remember that home is a place and a laboratory to
work and develop true empathy, power, love, and understanding that is needed to
succeed, 1 Timothy 3:12. Much of God's Word encourages any one concerning
keeping one's life pure. In my practice I have seen that people become decision
impaired when living in sin or having a double life. People having secret sins,
generally are people who live in fear, of being found out and they will go in a
down ward spiral of emotions and when they are decision impaired.
Satan, the territorial war and deception
The battle ground for control between God and Satan is the soul (mind, will and emotion) of man. Satan desires to have our mind as his territory (property). People who insist upon self- supremacy are giving precious grounds for Satan. 3For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself; Gal: 6:3.
Satan proceeds like a parasite and enters the thought life of people who would voluntarily or involuntarily hosts his ideas and manipulate and exploit them for his selfish benefit. Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them; 2 Cori: 4:4; 4.
Satan's tactic is deception.
Imagine what he did to the mind of Charles Darwin! He inflicted his smart mind and was the most effective fraud ever concerning life's origin, meaning and purpose. Satan exploits the masses of people of the world with varied ideas of the world for life practice that cause the people's own ruin. (These practices include godless humanism, the practice of deviant sex, abortion, occult and so on). He was in the thought life of the beautiful and impressive being whom we know now as the serpent who deceived Eve. Satan uses the same tactic as he used then. He plants doubts about the importance of God's Word and then tempts people by making evil look good, pleasant and desirable. Smart minds if not guarded by Divine grace it is like sugar care to the enemy of our souls. 14And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works; 2 Cori: 11: 14-15.
But, we have hope in the impossible because of what God did through Jesus Christ on the cross. Remember Satan's power is limited! God giveth more grace; God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. We have to submit to God and resist the Devil and Satan will flee away. 6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble;” James 4: 6.
What is true liberty and where do we get it?
Real liberty is freedom from the deceptive control of our old nature, and that is Satan and the world. The context of liberty is a life enhancing environment. The Bible is the source for life enhancing principles and emotions for wise decisions. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; 1 John 2: 15-16. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh; Galatians 5: 16.
Satan, the territorial war and deception
The battle ground for control between God and Satan is the soul (mind, will and emotion) of man. Satan desires to have our mind as his territory (property). People who insist upon self- supremacy are giving precious grounds for Satan. 3For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself; Gal: 6:3.
Satan proceeds like a parasite and enters the thought life of people who would voluntarily or involuntarily hosts his ideas and manipulate and exploit them for his selfish benefit. Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them; 2 Cori: 4:4; 4.
Satan's tactic is deception.
Imagine what he did to the mind of Charles Darwin! He inflicted his smart mind and was the most effective fraud ever concerning life's origin, meaning and purpose. Satan exploits the masses of people of the world with varied ideas of the world for life practice that cause the people's own ruin. (These practices include godless humanism, the practice of deviant sex, abortion, occult and so on). He was in the thought life of the beautiful and impressive being whom we know now as the serpent who deceived Eve. Satan uses the same tactic as he used then. He plants doubts about the importance of God's Word and then tempts people by making evil look good, pleasant and desirable. Smart minds if not guarded by Divine grace it is like sugar care to the enemy of our souls. 14And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works; 2 Cori: 11: 14-15.
But, we have hope in the impossible because of what God did through Jesus Christ on the cross. Remember Satan's power is limited! God giveth more grace; God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. We have to submit to God and resist the Devil and Satan will flee away. 6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble;” James 4: 6.
What is true liberty and where do we get it?
Real liberty is freedom from the deceptive control of our old nature, and that is Satan and the world. The context of liberty is a life enhancing environment. The Bible is the source for life enhancing principles and emotions for wise decisions. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; 1 John 2: 15-16. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh; Galatians 5: 16.
Heart questions when we deal with these dangerous
emotions.
Where is self-esteem and self-image for a believer?
Am I genuinely at peace within myself?
Where is self-esteem and self-image for a believer?
Am I genuinely at peace within myself?
Where is our first
love?
For further reading:
1. Millard
J. Erickson. Christian Theology.
2. R.T.
Kendall. Understanding Theology,
Developing a Healthy Church in the 21st Century. 1996.
3. Jay
E. Adams. A Theology of Christian
Counseling, More than Redemption.
4. Louis
Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand
Rapids
5. Robert
P Lightner. Handbook of Evangelical
Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review. MI : Baker Book
House, 1986.
6. Charles
Ryrie. Basic Theology.
7. A. H.
Strong. Systematic Theology.
8. Wayne
Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand
Rapids
9. Steven
W. Waterhouse. Not By Bread Alone,
An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine.
10. John
Theodore Muller, Th.D. Christian
Dogmatics, A handbook of Doctrinal Theology for Pastors, Teachers, and
Laymen. Mo : Concordia Publishing House,
1934.
11. Prayers To Move Your
Mountains. Nashville
12. John White. Parables, the
Greatest Stories ever Told. Illinois
13. ESV Study Bible. English
Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, Wheaton ,
Illinois
14. The Matthew Henry Study Bible. King
James Version. Iowa
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