Have you
had your Joy Juice today? You may be a
little discouraged this morning, but focusing on the JOY of the Lord is a great
way to avoid discouragement.
When people
do things purposefully or willfully…directly or indirectly…that hurt us, how do
we handle those emotions? Though our human nature would like to lash out and seek
revenge, our love for God should override those worldly emotions and replace
them with wise actions.
In Ephesians 4:26, Paul writes: “Be angry, and yet
do not sin.” Chuck Swindoll teaches
that, “Anger isn’t as much of a problem
as are the sinful acts that anger produces. Unresolved anger can lead to
holding grudges, backbiting, faultfinding, and a whole list of sins. So the
answer to anger is to resolve it as soon as possible—before it rules your
life.”
Swindoll suggests that we imagine rolling all our
feelings into a big, heavy ball. “Now that we have this emotional ball, what
can we do with it? Well, you could try to swallow it (repress it), but that
might make you emotionally or physically ill. You could fling it at someone
else (vent it), but that would hurt other friends. You could play catch with it
by tossing it back and forth with someone you trust (express it). But in the end,
you’ll still go home carrying this wretched ball. So what are you to do with
this burdensome ball of hurt? Give it to the Lord. Surrender your feelings to
Him in prayer."
Give God
the hurts of your heart and allow Him to replace them with His joy and peace.
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