Wisdom Concerning Our Thoughts & Feelings

Transcript

February 16,2016
LaVon Sperling

Ruling our Spirit in Thoughts, Feelings and Desires

God 0r rne

FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS EITHER ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS

Our thoughts

Proverbs 16:32 says, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city."

Elizabeth Elliott said, "Do not try to fortify yourself against emotions. Recognize them; name them, if that helps; and then lay them open before the Lord for His training of your responses. The discipline of emotions is the training of responses."

Paul's grief: Romans 9:2,3 God the Father's grief: Gen. 6: 5,6 Christ's grief: Mark 14:34

Prov. 15: 13 says that "by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed."

Prov. 25:20 Whoa! Let's not handle grief like this!

Do not grieve like those who have no hope!

Story of David: 2 Samuel 19: 1-8

Arthur Pink says, "The excessive indulgence of any passion offends God."

Quote from Lydia Brownbeck We can summarize the wisdom of emotional restraint as "giving free reign to emotions only to the extent that doing so brings no harm to people or dishonor to God's name." God's word says we are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and our neighbor as ourselves.

Phil: 2: 4 Do not look out for our own personal interests, but also for the interest of others.

How can I "ruIe my spirit" in grief?

1. Recognize that God made us in His image and He experienced emotion. [Gen. 6: 5,6)

2. Know that God KNOWS about grief. Is. 53: 3,4 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And Mark 14:34

3. Know that )esus' spirit was also crushed, because of our sin. Is. 53: 5

4. Know that grief (or any emotion) is for a season. There will be a time to laugh and to dance. Ecc. 3: 3,4

5. Learn to "rule my spirit" by giving no harm to people or dishonor to God's name. Prov. 16:32, Phil 2: 4, 1 Cor. 10: 31 Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God!

6. Experience His sufficiency in the midst of it. 2 Cor. 12:9, Psalm 119:28, Neh. 8: 9, 10

7. Be heavenly minded while on the earth. 1 Thess. 4:17b,18

Walking by the Spirit…Walking by the flesh
Saturate myself with God's Word Avoid God's Word
Pray continually…Prayer life becomes stagnant Prov. 18: 1
Remain vitally connected to other Christians…Avoid other believers
Obey God when I think of His commands…Put God's commands aside in exchange for my desires
Confess and forsake sin…Compare myself to others and continue with my sin.

Questions to ponder:
Who is in charge here?
Are my thought God's thoughts?
Are my responses to my emotions godly responses?
Are my desires, God's desires?
Am I training for battle?