Winning The Battle Against Self
When I reflect on my emotions, I remember happy days, sad occasions, mistakes, things I cherish, my faith, and unconditional love from God. Each day, various experiences evoke different emotions in me.
Do you find yourself in a constant battle with your emotions, or are you able to maintain a sense of control? It’s a common belief that we have the power to manage our emotions, but the truth is, they often have a way of managing us.
One way of knowing you’re driven by your emotions is an inability to change your behavior. Repeating mistakes demonstrates that your decision-making is being overridden by your emotions. This is the biggest obstacle to success. You know what needs to be done, but you can’t get yourself to do it often enough to enjoy lasting success.
Like Paul in Romans 7:18 (CEV), I, too, have grappled with the realization that my selfish desires often hinder me from doing what is good. Even when I am determined to do right, I fall short.
Paul is expressing his struggle against selfish desires that hold his mind captive, something we all face daily.
Learning how to override your emotions and allow rational thinking to prevail isn’t easy. Your sinful nature seeks to draw you away from following God’s work in you. Jesus said with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Paul goes on to say (v.22) that the inward man finds delight in the law of God. This delight causes believers in Christ to want to align themselves with the new nature God has imparted to them.
When you turn to prayer, it opens your heart to the transforming power of the Word of God. This power can re-align you with the new nature of God and renew you in Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). And let us not forget the power of the Holy Spirit, the One who instills in us self-control, energizing our renewed Spirit and empowering us to not be blinded by our emotions (Galatians 5:22-23).