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God has great plans for our lives, and He wants to use us to do great things for Him. But before He can put us in a position to use our gifts and talents in our fullest potential, we have to learn how to be stable, reliable and in control of our emotions.
As Christians, we need to live the life that we claim to represent so God can use us for what He’s called us to do—not just for our own sake, but for the good of those around us. This means our character should be strong in Christ and our motives should be right and pure when we’re using our God-given gifts.
In the early days of my ministry, when I was leading a small Bible study in my home, God put a dream in my heart to teach the Word like I’m doing it today through our worldwide ministry. But He couldn’t release me to use the full potential of that ability because at that time, I didn’t have the spiritual maturity to go along with it.
I remember how I never knew from one day to the next whether I’d be in a good mood or have a bad day. I’d wake up some mornings expecting a good day, but then something would happen that didn’t go my way and it would put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. I let my circumstances control my emotions, and it was a miserable way to live.
But the good news is we can change! We can control ourselves, with a lot of help from God, but we need to believe it for ourselves.
Get Off the Emotional Roller Coaster
The first step to managing our emotions is to stop making excuses. As born-again believers in Christ, we have the power of the Holy Spirit available to us to use self-control. And God will never tell you to do something that you can’t do; the key is learning to lean on Him for the strength to do what you need to do.
It’s also important to realize we are in a spiritual war. Our enemy, Satan, comes against us in many ways, and we really need to know how to stand against him. The ones who are going to win the war are the ones who are stable.
Philippians 1:28 (AMP) says, “And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God.”
This Scripture is saying that God and the devil are both watching us. And when a difficult situation comes our way, we have a choice to make: We can get upset, or we can remain at peace. See, the devil tries to set us up to make us upset. But if we stay calm, Satan knows he can’t upset us. It’s also a sign to God that our trust is truly in Him.
No matter how much you say that you trust God, if you are upset all the time, you really aren’t trusting Him. What God wants is for us to look to Him for the help we need, to do what we can do and then trust Him to do what we can’t do. God is good; He loves us and He will always do what He says He will do in His Word.
Staying Stable in the Hard Times
We have the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to endure some suffering while we’re waiting for His deliverance. It’s the hard times in our lives that cause us to grow spiritually. In fact, every day that you stay steadfast while you’re waiting for your breakthrough, you’re growing spiritually.
Being a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t have problems; it means that when problems come, God can give you His grace to get through them. Your faith doesn’t keep you from difficult situations—it helps you go through them with stability. Because when you’re determined to do what’s right, especially when it’s hard, that’s when you grow the most in your faith.
In Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV), Moses told the Israelites, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Remember that God is always with you and He wants to fight for you. When He allows difficult situations to come your way, you can trust Him to be in control and cause everything to work out for good in the end (Romans 8:28). So no matter what happens, hold your peace, remain at rest, keep an attitude of praise and trust God to fight your battles.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 140 books, including “Battlefield of the Mind” and “Loving People Who Are Hard to Love” (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
