Feelings need to be acknowledged, but mastered

Some months ago someone complained to me about how hard it was to have a regular quiet time. “I’m not like you Glenn, I don’t like reading the Bible all the time.” My response: “I feel like getting in the Word about two mornings a week. I feel like praying about one day out of ten. My feelings can’t be in charge.”

I feel like exercising, oh, one morning out of fifty. I feel like eating a Big Mac, Doritos, and a Mountain Dew several times a day.

I nearly always feel like being passive and avoiding confrontation. I feel like letting others take out the trash, clean the kitchen, and drive the kids around. I feel like criticizing politicians and the newspaper editors, but I rarely feel like praying for them. I feel like shrinking back and rationalizing when others provide “helpful” criticism about my actions (or inactions).

My internal “committee” of whiners has a lot of feelings.

Feelings need to be acknowledged (we are flesh and blood, and our emotional life is very strong), but mastered.

Self-mastery is key. Self-leadership should occupy a lot of your energy, and then leading others (including your family) falls into place. It’s very true when we say “It’s not about you.” But this issue – mastery over yourself for the sake of maturity and bearing fruit for the Lord – is COMPLETELY about you.

“Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27