Turn Loose Of Emotional Strongholds
Introduction
- Many of us have reached a point where the emotional pain in our lives has driven us to seek help. At the beginning of this journey, we are often filled with so many negative emotions that we don’t even know where to begin. Like taking a medication for a headache, we are looking for the quickest fix possible that can take the pain away. For many of us, this means turning to our pattern of compulsion, addiction, or codependency as we have always done.
- As difficult as this can seem, emotions really do have a very positive purpose. As we learn to properly identify them, we can gain some perspective, thus losing the power and intensity they have held in our lives.
- Allowing the Holy Spirit to comfort and nurture us during times of emotional pain brings healing to the deepest places in our soul and draws us into greater intimacy with Jesus Christ.
The Purpose of Emotions
We may have been taught that emotions are wrong or something we aren’t supposed to experience or express. We have learned to cover them over or conceal them. We may have even been taught that emotions are not good.
Since we are created in the image of God, we should first understand that emotions are simply part of what makes us human. God gave us emotions so we could feel, be passionate, and experience the fullness of life. God also exhibited emotions (see Psalm 33:5; 95:10; Isaiah 49:15-16; 61:8; Zephaniah 3:17). If God Himself has emotions, clearly, they cannot always be wrong in and of themselves.
However, just like anything else God created for good, our emotions can get twisted and skewed. When we are living apart from God’s plan, there are many negative consequences. Emotional pain is one of those consequences.
Emotions are like the check engine light in a vehicle. When emotions signal us, we must understand that something is happening and needs tended to. Emotions are warning signs. Our emotions are not the issue. They are merely an indicator of the real issue.
Imagine life if we didn’t feel. And for some of us, that has become our reality. Yet for others, we can be completely imprisoned by our emotions. When we’ve lost control of our emotions, we no longer understand or identify the issues that drive them. We only experience the emotions connected to the real issues, and we allow them to reign and rule in our lives.
The Origin of Negative Emotions
Most negative emotions come from false beliefs and faulty thinking. Any belief that is rooted in our flesh – Satan’s lies or the philosophies and systems of the world – leads to faulty thinking.
Robert McGee, in his book The Search for Significance, provides a clear perspective on how the false beliefs we internalized through childhood have a direct correlation to our behaviors and decisions in adulthood.
Our Actions Begin With Our Beliefs
It is important to understand that while our thoughts and beliefs are choices based on our free will, emotions are irrational. If someone tells you to “stop feeling that way,” you would not be able to. In order to stop feeling that way, you would have to first stop believing and thinking that way. If your emotions are causing you continual pain and suffering, it is important that you learn more about them, what might be driving them, and what God has provided for you to effectively manage them.
Negative Emotions Can Cripple Us
Every human being has a myriad of emotions within them – some healthy and productive, some not so much. Some emotions (we call these secondary emotions) are layered upon deeper primary emotions. As you move forward in your healing journey, you will learn to examine whether an emotion is truly the issue. Or is it simply an outward manifestation of a deeper, primary emotion? Although there are countless human emotions, we’ll only be exploring five that are the most common.
- Anger
- Rejection
- Fear
- Loneliness
- Powerlessness
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