| by Murphy Toerner |
To overcome unhappiness which is caused by any of the above, one needs to process (deal with or walk through) what has happened and what they need to do to regain their emotional balance and stability; their sense of emotional well-being.
Sometimes we can find ourselves living in perpetual unhappiness and it is not solely brought about by an event, unmet need, etc. … It is brought about because of what we “think” (what we tell ourselves in our heads) about various events. Let me explain. Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that, “you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” So, if we don’t tell ourselves the truth about a certain subject or event, we probably are not going to keep our emotional balance.
Many people have come to see the practical application of this biblical truth. It is not what happens to us that make us unhappy or depressed, as it is our interpretation of what has happened. It is the “significance” we attach to an event that actually makes us unhappy or depressed. The truth is that many events in our lives are actually “neutral.” Our interpretation of them and their significance is up to us. So we see that we need to be careful how we CHOOSE to interpret what has happened. We have to be careful in CHOOSING the “sginificance” we attach to an event.
The cool thing is when we begin the process of taking responsibility for our individual emotional state, we can make great strides in learning to be “more than a conqueror” (Romans 8). We can actually be empowered by the Holy Spirit to become more resilient than we were in the past. When we choose to be careful about how we interpret events and the significance we attach to these events, what we are doing is operating with the “mind of Christ.” His “mind,” His “way of thinking” brings increased stability to us. Centered, Christ-like thinking usually produces centered, Christ-like emotional responses. By walking in the Spirit more consistently, we actually become more balanced, more stable, and more whole.
When we initially hear something that seems to go against the grain of what we have believed for a long time, we are skeptical. We adamantly challange the “new idea.” Please prayerfully consider what is being presented here and try to apply it in some way and see how it can make a difference in your long-term responses to daily events.
Begin by embracing a few truths:
* I am responsible for my emotional well-being
* Many, if not most, events in my life are “neutral”
* I attach significance or meaning to these events
* I can choose to bring God into my circumstances and try to see things from His perspective.
* Examine the significance you are attaching to the the event
* Examine how you are interpreting the event
* Challenge yourself to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” about the event
* Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-6)
* Choose to “renew your mind” (Romans 12:2)
* Ask God to help you and empower you to do this
Try the above and see how they make a difference!
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