Is what we feel or what we think more important?
Do our emotions control our thinking or do our thoughts control our emotions? Is anxiety, worry, fear or hate an emotion or a thought? Is love, joy, peace an emotion or a thought?
Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” (NKJ)
Emotions are the behavioral effects of thoughts.
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, 7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” (AMP)
Philippians 4:6-8 “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (NKJ)
The only way to control your emotions is by controlling your thoughts.
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (JKV)
Matthew 6:31-33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (KJV)
Your thoughts are a very accurate representation of what you choose to focus your attention on. Whatever is more important to you will be your dominant thought.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJ)
Love is not a feeling you can lose or throw away. Love is an unselfish choice.
1 John 4:20 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (NKJ)
To say, ‘I can’t help the way I feel!’ is the tail wagging the dog.
Galatians 5:19-24 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (NKJ)
Your emotions cannot be the leader. Emotions are given to us by our creator. However, we were not created to be led by our emotions.
Romans 8:5-6 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (NKJ)
Romans 8:5-8 “Those who are motivated by the flesh only pursue what benefits themselves. But those who live by the impulses of the Holy Spirit are motivated to pursue spiritual realities. 6 For the sense and reason of the flesh is death, but the mind-set controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace. 7 In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to His direction, because it cannot! 8 For no matter how hard they try, God finds no pleasure with those who are controlled by the flesh.” (TPT)
Feelings are not facts. Only the Word of God is truth.
