Oh, No You Didn't

“Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s temper, than capturing a city.” Proverbs 16:32

This week I have struggled with keeping my emotions and feelings in check. As the week progressed I started looking up scripture that dealt with emotions and feelings. There were several verses that stuck out but one story that we all know from the garden of Gethsemane struck a chord with me. If you read Matthew 26 you will find that it’s a few days before Jesus’ death and takes you through Peter denying Jesus. Peter’s denial isn't what struck me though, nope; it was when Jesus’ companion cut off a man’s ear. “Friend,’ Jesus asked him, ‘why have you come?’ Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him.  At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.” Matthew 26:50-51 Obviously, emotions were running high at this point and that was a reaction to prevent Jesus from being arrested. It doesn't say in Matthew who cut off the slave’s ear so I did some digging and found that it was Peter. In the book of John chapter 18 verse 10 tells us that it was Peter who drew the sword and cut his ear off. When I read that earlier this week, my thought was the slave was probably thinking…Oh, NO you didn't! Jesus probably looked down at the ground knowing what was going to happen but not able to control his friend’s emotions, but he did tell him to put the sword away.
Have you ever had a Peter moment? You know, one where you spoke or acted before thinking? I know I have, and sadly once you've said or done something you can’t take it back. When I have days or weeks like this past one where my emotions/feelings seem to be hard to keep in check I turn to the Bible and think of the truths that lie within it. There has been plenty of times that I would get worked up over something because I think this is how somebody feels about me and most of the time it’s just not true. Sometimes, I can spin situations and conversations so many ways that it’s hard to separate the facts from my thoughts. Before I started reading my Bible and trying to walk with Jesus I would react on the situations I had spun in my head. As I've gotten older I have learned to stop, pray, think about what Jesus would say/do and then move on. Thankfully, it has saved me from being a total jerk, but there are still times when I don’t stop and think. Then there are times when I do stop and think but it doesn't take long and I’m back to spinning the what ifs, whys and hows. I struggle with negativity and self-value so it doesn't take much for me to let my mind wander off into the falsehood the devil would like for me to believe. You see, if he can keep your mind occupied on the what ifs and the whys and on yourself he is able to keep you from doing God’s will. You can’t focus on yourself and help others.
Through me reading the Bible and hearing past sermons I know that I can’t trust my emotions or feelings. Jeremiah tells of how deceitful the heart is. “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 Kinda ironic isn't it? I mean, we feel so strongly with our heart, but yet it is deceitful. A lot of people say listen to your heart, but Jeremiah says who can understand it (heart). If your heart is deceitful and you can’t understand it, then should we “listen” to it? Don’t trust yourself when it comes to the things that stir up strong emotions. Turn to the Bible instead and see what it says. The more you fill your heart and mind with God’s word the more you will be able to react the way God would want you to and not with raw emotion. Luke says that what is in your heart will come out of your mouth. So, if you have good (God’s word) in your heart these things will come out. Be aware though, if you have evil in your heart evil will come out. “A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” Luke 6:45 Inevitably, people are going to say and do things that will upset you. It is up to you on how you react to what they say and do. You can react like Peter and do damage to someone before you've had time to think about it or you can stay calm. “Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s temper, than capturing a city.” Proverbs 16:32 Be patient with others and when your emotions are in full swing keep turning your situation over to God. At some point you have to give it to him and leave it but until your mind stops spinning the situation or you are able to be at peace just keep giving it to God. Always remember true love is shown through action, not words. How we treat people, no matter the situation we are in, is when people can see if God is in us. “Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action. This is how we will know we belong to the truth and will convince our conscience in His presence, even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.” 1 John 3:18-20 Our feelings and emotions can be hard to control and often times so easy to react on, but today I ask you to stop and before you say or cause someone to say, “Oh, No you didn't”; think how God would want you to react.  Until next time, “May Yahweh bless you and protect you” Numbers 6:24
* Bible verses taken from HCSB