When Your Feelings Are Holding You Back By Rick Warren
“Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ.”Philippians 2:5 (TLB)
If you want to succeed in life, you must learn how to master your moods. When you’re dealing with an emotion that’s holding you back, you’ve got two options: You either change it, or you direct it.
Sometimes you need to change what you’re feeling. Some emotions are so destructive, so damaging, so hurtful, and so ineffective that the only thing you can do is change them.
Philippians 2:5 says, “Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ” (TLB).
Your attitude includes your emotions—so what you’re feeling should be the same as that of Jesus. You need to ask yourself, “How would Jesus respond in this situation? Would Jesus get irritated with this waitress? No. Would Jesus yell at that person? No. Would Jesus be up all night, wringing his hands and worrying that it isn’t going to work out? No. Would Jesus be fearful? No.”
Then you instantly dismiss any feeling that doesn’t make you more like Jesus. If Jesus wouldn’t respond to your spouse with that emotion, then you shouldn’t either. You drop that attitude, and you figure out what Jesus would do instead.
Sometimes you need to direct what you’re feeling. When my son Matthew died, I entered into the deepest possible grief you can imagine. But my wife and I decided from the first moment that we were going to channel that grief for good and use our pain to help other people. That’s one of the reasons Saddleback Church now hosts an annual conference on mental illness. I’m not about to waste a hurt I go through. I’m going to use it for good.
Your greatest ministry will not come out of your strengths and successes. Your greatest ministry is more likely to come out of your deepest pain.
What feeling is holding you back today? Name it. Then decide whether you need to change it or direct it, and then use it for good.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Your Gift Brings Hope to the World
God has dreams for your life!
In Pastor Rick’s book "Created to Dream: The 6 Phases God Uses to Grow Your Faith," you’ll learn how to discover God’s custom-made dream for your life—a dream that is bigger and better than anything you could ever dream up on your own! And you’ll find practical help for navigating challenges, delays, and detours that stand in your way.
We’d love to send you a copy as our way of saying thank you for your generous gift below to help take the hope of Jesus to more people through Daily Hope.
Request yours when you give today—and thank you for your partnership!
*All gifts will be doubled up to the full amount of the grant. Thank you for your generous support! *The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
