Years ago I was in a meeting of elders of a church when the subject of emotions was brought up. One very wise elder said, "Emotions tell you everything." Another very wise elder stated, "Emotions tell you nothing." Both were correct. The first elder was the congregation's counselor and he was speaking of the benefit of seeing a person's belief system through his emotions. The latter elder, a very practical administrator with a doctoral degree in chemistry, was speaking of the place that emotions have in giving us direction or the making of decisions. The fact is that emotions and feelings have their place, but that place is not to lead in decisions.
Unfortunately, many, if not most, individuals are lead by their emotions. Some of the most critical decisions in our lives are overly influenced by emotional leading. Voting, marriage, promiscuity, diets, and drug and alcohol use are all influenced heavily by emotions. The outcry of plays, movies, and books is "follow your heart." Phrases.such as "if it feels good, do it" or "it can't be wrong if it feels so right" have been around for decades and helps add to the confusion. Psychological philosophy is in a constant search for justification of one's aberrant behaviors and for someone on whom to blame those behaviors and relieve emotional pain. We allow artists, musicians, film directors, and news media using emotionally driven phrases and images to manipulate us into decisions and opinions which have nothing to do with righteousness or truth. Words and actions of true substance. And mankind continues the downward evolution into anarchy, created in the primordeal soup of self-serving emotionalism.
At times we all may need counsel or encouragement. But what is that counsel? Is it man centered? Is it focused on curing the emotional pain that someone may be going through? So its goal freedom from pain for the person or is the goal first first the increase of His government in the individual's life, thereby bringing true and lasting freedom? Worse yet, (and I am afraid we have all seen it but hoped it was not true) is the goal the ego of the counselor in helping others or having an entourage of grateful hangers on. At a recent meeting where a counselor was the speaker, I was sickened as I heard him say time after time how "he" had brought someone to freedom.
True freedom, lasting freedom comes, not from man's counseling, not from blame, not from reliance on counselors or psychological fads and theories, but from continuing, abiding in the word of God. That abiding makes me know truth. It makes me discern error in the midst of emotional turmoil, because the word of God changes the belief system that has caused the emotional turmoil.
Those who counsel need to focus on the fact that a relationship with Christ, not the counselor, will bring about emotional stability and freedom into a life.
Be blessed!
Unfortunately, many, if not most, individuals are lead by their emotions. Some of the most critical decisions in our lives are overly influenced by emotional leading. Voting, marriage, promiscuity, diets, and drug and alcohol use are all influenced heavily by emotions. The outcry of plays, movies, and books is "follow your heart." Phrases.such as "if it feels good, do it" or "it can't be wrong if it feels so right" have been around for decades and helps add to the confusion. Psychological philosophy is in a constant search for justification of one's aberrant behaviors and for someone on whom to blame those behaviors and relieve emotional pain. We allow artists, musicians, film directors, and news media using emotionally driven phrases and images to manipulate us into decisions and opinions which have nothing to do with righteousness or truth. Words and actions of true substance. And mankind continues the downward evolution into anarchy, created in the primordeal soup of self-serving emotionalism.
At times we all may need counsel or encouragement. But what is that counsel? Is it man centered? Is it focused on curing the emotional pain that someone may be going through? So its goal freedom from pain for the person or is the goal first first the increase of His government in the individual's life, thereby bringing true and lasting freedom? Worse yet, (and I am afraid we have all seen it but hoped it was not true) is the goal the ego of the counselor in helping others or having an entourage of grateful hangers on. At a recent meeting where a counselor was the speaker, I was sickened as I heard him say time after time how "he" had brought someone to freedom.
True freedom, lasting freedom comes, not from man's counseling, not from blame, not from reliance on counselors or psychological fads and theories, but from continuing, abiding in the word of God. That abiding makes me know truth. It makes me discern error in the midst of emotional turmoil, because the word of God changes the belief system that has caused the emotional turmoil.
Those who counsel need to focus on the fact that a relationship with Christ, not the counselor, will bring about emotional stability and freedom into a life.
Be blessed!
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