Women of Faith - Making Peace with Your Emotions: Living Life to the Fullest

MAKING PEACE
WITH YOUR
EMOTIONS

MAKING PEACE
WITH YOUR
EMOTIONS

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

Margaret Feinberg

Foreword by Marilyn Meberg

2012 Thomas Nelson

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

ISBN: 978-1-4185-4930-5

Printed in China

11 12 13 14 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

W ho does not want to make peace with their emotions? There are times when we are at peace with our emotions; they please us. We dont feel at war with them. They bring us happiness, contentedness, and at times, huge hoots of laughter. We can feel the quiet peace produced by Gods incomparable scenic beauty or the sheer exuberance of a perfect chocolate desert. We recognize that without our emotions, life would feel flat, gray, or dead. We need our emotions to remind us we are alive.

But our lively emotions can erupt into expressions of fury and nearly murderous anger. We are horrified to realize the depth of those feelings and fear the possibilities of the behavior that fury might produce. We do our best to hide the feelings from others and even from ourselves. We pretend we are fine and slap on a fake smile and hope nothing leaks out from behind it. In spite of our efforts to camouflage, our anger causes us to feel nervous about ourselves. We realize angers internal and continual perking operates much like an old coffee maker with no automatic shut-off switch.

In addition to feeling fearful about our angers potential to do harm, we also feel shame. Those shame feelings have a voice. They say: What is wrong with you? You should not have those feelings of rage. Youre a Christian... at least you claim to be. Maybe you really are not a Christian; maybe you are a fake. No one who is a true Christian has those thoughts and feelings. You should just quit pretending to be someone you are not. Its at this point that we recognize the need to somehow make peace with these emotions. But how?

Jealousy is another lively emotion that can either erupt unexpectedly or, like anger, perk away beneath our well-guarded exterior. We may be uncomfortably aware of the Galatians 5:26 warning that we not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. That admonition could not be clearer. Our struggle could not be more difficult.

What causes us to want, crave, plot, or even fake what does not belong to us? We know the bottom-line answer to that question is we crave and fake because our hearts are incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). But we ask the age-old question, Shouldnt I who knows the cure behave better? Not sure how to answer ourselves, we, yet again climb on the shame treadmill and walk it until were exhausted. So Ill say it again: it is at this point that we recognize the need to make peace with these emotions. But how?

I love it when the but how questions in life have an answer. Margaret Feinbergs Making Peace with Your Emotions: Living Life to the Fullest is filled with scriptural ways we can truly make peace with the emotions that shame us and rob us of ever feeling there is truly a way to live life to the fullest. With the expertise of Margarets biblical insights and empathic suggestions, you will find yourself discovering reasons for hope to change what you once found hopeless and beyond changing.

It is always reassuring to remember that God cares even more than we do about our unruly emotions. In fact, He created those emotions. Not only did He create our emotions, He feels them Himself.

You are going to find that this study is meant just for you. Your emotions can be wonderfully enriching friends. I suggest you prepare to have a whole new appreciation for them. In fact, you may learn to love yourself like Jesus loves you!

MARILYN MEBERG

Introduction
Delighting in Your Emotions

To give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

SAMUEL ULLMAN,
AMERICAN POET

W hat would it be like to live in a world void of vibrant colors? Imagine for a moment that everything was black, white, and matte grey. The sky. The trees. The animals. Not just everyone around you, but even you. Without color, wed miss out on the royal blues and purples that paint the sky as the sun melts into the horizon. Wed never experience the fluorescent shades of tropical birds or fish. The beauty of spring blossoms would be muted. Life would lose its vibrancy, the delight that comes with its diverse and beautiful expressions. Such a scene makes us grateful for all the hues that God has given us.

Now imagine for a moment a world void of emotion. Like a world without color, one without emotion would lack the delight and wonder that God intends. Without emotion, we couldnt experience the delicate joy of holding a newborn baby in our arms. Apart from emotion, we wouldnt savor the comfort of a tender embrace. Without emotions, we couldnt respond in awe to a surprise given to us by those who love and know us best.

Indeed, one of the greatest gifts God has given us is our emotions. Its no accident that God gives us the ability to feel a wide range of feelings from anticipation to joy. Just as color gives our world brightness and beauty, emotions give our lives feelings and unforgettable experiences.

While you may be tempted to list a few emotions you wish you didnt have such as anger or sadness, even those feelings are divine gifts meant to be celebrated. Why? Because God feels them too! Those emotions provide a glimpse into Gods heart, and it isnt a mistake that you experience them.

Throughout this study, well look at a handful of the emotions youve probably felt. These are emotions people have been experiencing since the beginning of time. Well examine the idea that not only did God create us and give us emotions, but He feels them Himself too. And well look at emotions that are truly a giftwhether its fear or anger or joyand unpack their holy dimensions.

My hope and prayer is that throughout this study, youll find yourself delighting in the emotions that God has given you. And along the way youll find yourself coming alive in the fullness of all God has called and created you to be.

Blessings, Margaret
Feinberg

Emotions Are
Gods Gift

While we may convince ourselves that we dont really need emotions or that somehow emotions can get in our way, God created us with emotions. We were designed to experience feelings. The good news is that not only did God create emotions as a gift, but He feels them Himself too.