War of the Emotions Posted by Ashleigh Slater on April 15, 2008

I've been told there are some women who don't struggle with their emotions. I'm not one of them. The last month has been proof of that. With each passing week and the various strains and stresses of daily life our family has recently experienced, I've found myself constantly battling to keep my emotions in check. Sometimes I succeed. Many times I fail.

Both articles this week touch on this issue of emotions. The first comes from regular contributor, Anne Swanson. In "The Couch War," Anne talks about how to peacefully handle conflict in marriage and not allow our emotions to get the best of us. She writes:

When it comes to my marriage, I used to be able to justify in my mind that I had the right to be angry. I used to attempt (and sometimes still do) to get Justin back by saying something that I knew would rub him the wrong way. I wanted to have the last word before I stomped out of the room and make him feel bad that he had wronged me. I would show him! But when I hold unto a grudge, which I have been known to do from time to time, I'm not looking for peace in the situation. Instead, I'm harboring resentment and anger toward the other person. This is sin.

Thankfully, God's Word is such an amazing reminder of my sinful nature and my need for Him.

It's a great reminder for those of us who are married to actively seek peace with our husbands.

Our second article, "It's My Party," comes from me. In it, I share my struggle with falling into emotionally-driven sin. I hope my own battle encourages those of you who also struggle.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts on what we're publishing. What stuck out to you about this week's articles?

Comments

[Rachael]

Ashleigh,

Thanks for your honesty in how you are dealing with sin. The Joyce Meyer blurb in your article reminds me of something I've heard that goes something like this: "If you wonder what others are thinking about you, they aren't." You suggest a good antidote to being guided by emotions - by preaching the gospel to ourselves. I've heard of this concept, and I want to learn and practice more of what it means to do this every day. I don't do it every day, but it would be neat if I could truly reflect upon the saving gospel every day.

Just tonight I listened to someone talk on the parable of the talents as recorded in Matt. 25. The servants were given "each according to his ability"...

Sounds like you've been given a lot of 'talents'...ones that I don't have to deal with at this point in time. May we, ideally, be faithful in what we've been given and double our talents as the two faithful servants did...easier said than written, though (I need to become way more responsible)!

[Ashleigh]

Rachael, I wanted to give you a few links that offer further info and insight into the "preach the gospel to yourself" concept. One I've definitely found helpful and still need to grow in. They come from the blog Girl Talk and are:

Preach the Gospel to Yourself
How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself
A Gospel Primer

[Rachael]

Thanks!