Feelings are very much like waves; we can’t stop them from coming, but we can choose which one to surf. ~Jonathan Martensson

What kind of life do you want? Let me guess.

He wants peace, prosperity and good health. You wish life was less rushed and hectic. I am right?

Health, peace and even prosperity are directly affected by our thoughts and emotions. Stress has been shown time and time again to create disease. Stress is created by dominating negative emotions. God wants you stress free.

Have you ever tried to assemble a complicated ready-to-assemble piece of furniture or a children’s toy without reading the instruction book? Stressful, huh? Well, life is the same way. God has given us a manual to follow: things to do and things not to do. The problem is that we tend to ignore the Don’ts. Oh, we know the Ten Commandments, but we don’t pay much attention to his other instructions.

That includes these seven deadly emotional sins.

Fear-

Fear denies faith. He declares that the problem is bigger than God. Is that possible? The Bible says that He is the Most High: nothing is greater or higher than God. Fear is always false: a lie told by the devil to weaken his faith and short-circuit his success. Fear is a bully, all braggadocio and noise, designed to distract you so you forget how powerful you are as a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus.

The solution: Do not fear, only believe (Luke 8:50). Fear must be replaced by faith: faith in God’s promises and in his love for you. Faith comes from knowing and understanding the promised. Study and meditate on relevant Bible verses until your faith overcomes your fear. ‘Only believing’ is an act of your will, not your emotions. You don’t have to listen to those negative thoughts. Replace fear with positive affirmations of faith. Stay with him until you know the fear is gone.

Angel –

Anger, rage, hatred, hostility, and animosity are varying degrees of selfish displeasure. It is an emotional reaction to feeling hurt (emotionally, mentally, physically) or threatened in some way. You resort to anger as a way to retaliate or insult. The problem with anger (and most negative emotions) is that it hurts you more than the target of your anger. It creates stress, insomnia, anxiety and a series of physical and mental problems. The longer you are angry, the more damage you will do to yourself, not the other person.

The solution: stop anger, and stop anger: do not be angry… (Ps. 37:8). The Bible declares that God is merciful. When we think of his mercy and forgiveness, should we, can we, do less? Follow his example. Put aside your selfish feelings (yes, you can). Instead, he shows mercy and compassion. Like fear, anger is an emotional choice. He decides to show mercy and release the anger and turmoil. When angry feelings invade your mind, say to yourself, “I’ve decided not to get angry about it anymore. I choose peace.” Don’t feed his wounds. The more consistent you are with your choice, the sooner those negative feelings will disappear.

unforgiveness-

Unforgiveness is a byproduct of anger and selfishness, and it accomplishes absolutely nothing! The other person probably doesn’t even know that you’re hurt or angry. In fact, the lack of forgiveness destroys your peace and blocks your prayers. Mark 11:23-26 explains that you can have anything you say, but the next instruction is when you are praying, forgive if you have something against someone.

The solution: Forgive. Plain and simple. God forgives us for all our sins and faults. His example is our commandment. How many times in the New Testament did Jesus say “Your sins are forgiven” just before the petitioner received everything he prayed for and hoped for? Forgiveness is the key to peace of mind. It’s a choice you make. Decide to forgive. It may take a while for your emotions to agree with your decision, but don’t give up. One of the last things that Jesus prayed on the cross was for God to forgive his torturers. Should you do less?

Greed-

Covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5) and leads to all kinds of selfishness and sin. It is the root cause of theft, greed, stinginess and covetousness. It is rooted in fear, saying “I have to take care of myself and get as much as I can.” A covetous heart has forgotten God’s promises of prosperity. Instead of giving heart, greed clenches its fist, ignoring the needs of others.

The solution: Give it away! Find ways to be a blessing. Remember the man who came to Jesus and asked him, “What good will I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) Jesus told him to sell what he had and give it to the poor. You don’t have to sell everything (Jesus didn’t say everything) but that young man didn’t want to part with anything. Open your hand and your heart, trusting that God will take care of you. The entire universe is based on the principle of sowing and reaping, sowing and reaping. The more you give and share, the more you will receive. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver.

Pride-

Pride has an excessively high opinion of oneself. It is often disguised as false humility. “Oh, okay, it wasn’t really anything,” while on the inside you’re jumping up and down, celebrating your accomplishment. Pride is deceived by a false sense of power (Jer. 49:16; Ob. 1:3). He says, “I can handle this problem myself. I don’t need to bother anyone (even God) with it.” Pride says, “I can figure it out. I don’t need to ask for help.” Pride examines other people and finds them wanting in some way, even as it takes ‘pride’ in how good you are and how well you are doing.

The solution: Pride is different than understanding your worth and worth. Everyone has certain God-given talents and abilities. You can enjoy those abilities and use them in the service of others, but acknowledge their Source. Even Jesus recognized that He could do nothing without the Father.

God clearly told us to cast all our worries on Him because He cares about us. He wants us to need him, to trust him for all our needs and wants. He knows that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above… (James 1:17). No matter what you need or want, God is the Creator. Anything you can achieve is only by his grace, mercy and blessing from him. Acknowledge it with a grateful and humble heart.

Envy-

Also called greed, envy wants what everyone has. When someone has been hurt with something you wanted, can you sincerely be happy for that person? Envy ignores God’s promises of abundance for all his children. Instead, he says, “I deserve it. Why should they have it and not me?” Envy is often spiteful or malicious and leads to frustration, depression, or anger. At worst, it encourages you to try to steal or destroy the coveted.

The solution: Trust God to meet all your needs (Philippians 4:19). Envy forgets that God also has a good plan for you. He has blessings in abundance, ready and waiting. Feed on his promises until your faith reaches the abundance of heaven, right here on earth! Instead of coveting what you don’t have, be thankful for everything you do have. Gratitude touches the heart of God and erases those feelings of envy and lack.

Selfishness-

ah Here is the root of all kinds of emotional, mental and physical sin. When we become so self-centered and selfish that we cannot see another point of view, a different option, or another person’s pain, we have forgotten about God and his plan for each of us. We have lost sight of the ‘exchange of blessings’. You give to others and someone else gives to you. The synergy of combined talents, abilities and efforts create the ‘peaceful world’ that God wants us to have. Selfishness nullifies that peace.

The solution: Take an honest look at your motives. Are you considering the feelings and needs of others? God is Love, says the Bible. He created us in his image. His heart grieves when we forget to walk in love. Are you demanding more from the people around you than they are willing or able to give? Are you with the celebration of favor, mercy, forgiveness and blessing? Ask yourself ‘why?’ Selfishness is the opposite of love and compassion. It is a choice that you make in each moment, a choice that you can change.

Each of these seven deadly emotional sins is an example of selfishness: we try to take care of ourselves. “It hurts. I’m angry. I need to punish someone. I want… I need…”

Be aware of your motivation. Look to Jesus as your example. He never rushed, he always had time for anyone who came his way. He was full of peace and joy, despite the political and social problems of his time. He offered help in many different ways when people would receive it (sometimes they didn’t, but that’s a topic for another article). He was full of compassion, always. He did not worry about his own needs, knowing that the Father would take care of him.

Life is a process of continuous growth. God expects you to broaden your understanding of his Word, act on what you learn, and become more and more like Him. Your commandment is Love, God’s kind of love. If you stay focused on that and trust God to meet all your needs and concerns, the Bible says you will never fail.