Pastor Rick Warren
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How to Deal with How You Feel - Part 2
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Pastor Rick Warren
Not Everything You Feel Is Right

“To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace . . . Those who obey their human nature cannot please God.” Romans 8:6, 8 (GNT)

Learning to manage your emotions is the key to peace of mind.

I want to share with you four important reasons from God’s Word why you need to learn to deal with what you feel.

You need to learn to manage your emotions because they are often unreliable.
Your gut is often wrong. Your intuition is often flawed. Your emotions often lead you down a blind alley. You can’t depend on everything you feel!

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV). You don’t have to accept everything you feel, because not everything you feel is right or authentic or will lead you in the right direction.

You need to learn to manage your emotions because you don’t want to be manipulated.
If you don’t control your emotions, they will control you, and you will be manipulated by your moods. And if you’re always guided by your feelings, other people are going to take advantage of you. Worst of all, negative emotions are Satan’s favorite tool. He will use fear, resentment, and worry to wreak havoc in your life.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (NIV).

You need to learn to manage your emotions because you want to please God.
God cannot rule your life if emotions rule your life. If you make your decisions based on how you feel, then you’ve made your feelings god, and then God can’t be God in your life.

Romans 8:6, 8 says, “To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace . . . Those who obey their human nature cannot please God” (GNT).

You need to learn to manage your emotions because you want to succeed in life.
Study after study has shown that your emotional quotient is far more important than your IQ when it comes to success. How many people do you know who ruined their reputation because of something said in anger? Or missed a job opportunity because of their lack of self-control?

Proverbs 5:23 says, “[People] get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control” (CEV).

Jesus doesn’t just want to guide your thoughts and actions—he wants to be Lord of your emotions too. When you surrender your emotions to him, you open the door to greater peace, clarity, and spiritual growth.

Talk It Over
  • How much do you base your decisions on your feelings? How do you know if a “feeling” is right or wrong?

  • Why is it important to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit? How do you do that?

  • What about your emotions do you need to surrender to God today?

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Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope brings biblical hope and encouragement to people around the world. Through his daily audio and written devotional Bible teaching, Pastor Rick shares the hope of Christ and the biblical truths people need to live a truly purpose driven life.
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