UNCONTROLLED EMOTIONS‑‑‑Pr. 17:22, Pr. 15:13

A. Emotions: Mental excitement, feelings, etc, Emotional: Excitable,

easily agitated, tending to stir the feelings, to move or stir up.

a. Emotions are an aspect of the mind. They are experience within the

spirit but have physical manifestations.

(1) For example: Anger effects the adrenal glands, worry the digestive

glands, sorrow the tear glands, fear the circulatory system, etc.

b. Emotions may interfere with normal processes of body & mind, may

cause physical or mental aliments or even death.

c. Emotions have in common the general idea of being stirred up,

excited, perturbed. They are important factors in motivating human

behavior. People are influenced more by their feelings than by reason.

d. Emotions are means of communication. A gloomy person spreads gloom, a

cheerful person spreads good cheer, & an angry person spreads anger.

e. Emotions makes an individual attractive or repulsive, reasonable or

irrational, saintly or ignoble.

B. Because of the affects the emotions has on us, the Devil uses the

method of "Obsession" in order to destroy our soul. Obsession means to

rule the mind, to preoccupy the mind.

C. The Devil seeks to stir up your emotions, because a stirred up

emotion causes abnormal behavior patterns.

D. What Modern Science Has Found & What the Bible Reveals;

a. In the last few decades, modern science has found increasing evidence

that the vast majority of our physical aches, pains & illnesses are

either caused entirely by or are heavily contributed to, by our upset

human emotions. During recent years, medical scientists have come to

realize that wrong emotions can produce the symptoms of literally dozens

of different bodily ills

Common complaints such as, dizziness, headaches, pain in the back of the neck,

ulcer‑like pain, gall bladder‑like pain, & tiredness, etc. It is now

established scientifically that no matter how intelligent you are your emotions

can literally kill you.

Three thousand years ago, the inspired writer of Proverbs stated a truth

that medical science is now just in the process of confirming‑‑"A merry

heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Pr. 17:22.

(1) Emotional upsets, literally dries the bones of its victims

spiritually. Because upset emotions causes frustration, mental turmoil,

belligerency, unhappiness, dejection, etc. Nothing ruins health & spirit

more than grief, continual worry, anxiety, fretfulness, bad tempers,

hatred, & malice.

The end of these things is death. They are destroying agents of the Devil.

Uncontrolled emotions causes the entire mental attitude to become negative, the

wisdom & judgement are clouded, the drive & enthusiasm are diminished. Ones

spirit is broken by emotional brooding & worry.

E. Negative attitudes must be avoided like a plague. It is a plague, a

plague of Satan. People who are constantly fretting, harping, complaining,

being upset etc, are prime candidates for emotionally induced illness, &

spiritual destruction. At the same time the ones who practices cheerfulness

& positive thinking display an attitude that is consistent with living for

God.

This person sees good, & receives joy in nearly everything. He is thankful

to God to just be alive. Thankful for the breath of air he breathes, the

food he eats, the clothes he wears, the house he lives in, for the car he

drives, since so many hundreds of millions in other parts of the world do

not have these things to enjoy.

 This person enjoys looking at the clouds above him, the plants, the trees,

the woods, the birds & all the beauties of the creation about him. He has

determined to enjoy life not merely endure it.

a. A most inspiring section of the Bible where these very attitudes are

emphasized is in Paul's letter to the Philippians. Here was a time when

the apostle himself was a prisoner of Rome, guarded by a Roman soldier,

& whose legs were shackled by a literal ball & chain.

Yet this man of God writes‑‑"Rejoice in the Lord alway, & again I say,

Rejoice." 4:4. In  a time of personal trial, God's Apostle was plainly

telling the Christians of that day to rejoice & to think positively about

the things things that are true, just, pure, & lovely.

 Notice that he did not dwell on the probable "unjust" circumstances

contributing to his arrest & imprisonment. He did not dwell on the fact

that he was bound with a chain & being guarded by a Roman soldier, with

death near if his trial did not turn well. This emotional balance‑‑i.e.

did not turn out well. Facing your problems with a truly positive & cheerful

attitude, even under adverse circumstances.

It is disciplining ones self not to continually dwell on the negative aspect

of things & so defeat your own purposes by brooding & worrying. It is being

able to take the defeats of today & forgetting them & reaching forth to those

things to those things which are before.

It is to start each day with a clean slate mentally, & keep pressing toward

your goal, forgetting about temporary misfortunes. It is using defeats as

springboards for future victories.

(1) Many men & women who have been crippled by war or disease have achieved

 a  remarkable victory because of their very affliction. Overcoming obstacles,

doing fantastic things in spite of their handicaps. This can work spiritually

as well as physically.

 Don't stop climbing the mountain just because you couldn't reach the top on

the first try. Don't stop trying to walk just because you couldn't balance

yourself on the first step. Nations do not give up just because of defeat of

one battle.

 Refuse to allow the present, the immediate which is only temporary, to

determine your future which is eternally. This is why the Devil works on

your emotions, he seeks to cause you, because of your present frustration

to make decisions that affects your eternal destiny.

 With God's help, we can discipline & control our thought & emotions so that

they do not hinder us from accomplishing our long‑range goal which is eternal

life. The trials & cares of this life are only temporary, & need not be a

tragedy of defeat. Pr. 14:26‑‑"In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence,

& his children shall have a place of refuge."

F. It is no new revelation that one of the important goals of Christian living

is an enjoyable, happy, interest‑packed life on earth here & now. God tells us

to rejoice & be happy. This attitude is so essential to physical health & to a

sense of spiritual well‑being.