-> Will you help us Open a World of Opportunity?    
 Home > Articles > Together in His Grace > "Emotional Residue"   
Emotional ResidueEmotional Residue
by Mike Barres
Print This Article   Send it to a Friend

 
Beware of emotional residue. Have you ever found yourself in a bad mood? It may even puzzle you. If you trace it back, it may be emotional residue, from something that happened earlier.

Sometimes we get bad news, or someone irritates us and steps on our last nerve. Other times we may hear or see something that hurts us, or makes us fearful. We may have an occasion where something worries us about the future. Those things often don't disappear right away.

Later on you might say to yourself, "Why am I irritable," or "why am I in such a foul mood." Think backwards until you discover what caused it. Then what?

First of all, pray over that concern. Give it to God, "[C]asting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). As Paul reminds us:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

We can be aware of emotional residue!
Another thing we can do is to "take our thoughts captive" — we don't have to believe everything we think, but can challenge our thoughts with God's truth. The apostle Paul said:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Remind yourself about what God's Word says about your blessings in Christ.

He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). You [God] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).

For many of us, by the time we realize that we have carried some emotional residue over in to another situation, we have said or done something we should not have. If we snap at someone, or react in a wrong way, simply apologize. Sometimes we get a feeling of condemnation. Most people will readily accept an apology, because they have had it happen to them, too.

We are still human, so we are still affected by our emotions, but we can be aware of emotional residue and how it impacts our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Let's recognize it, pray about it, and live above it.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7).

 
Share Related
Print This ArticlePrint this Article

Send it to a FriendSend it to a Friend

Heartlight encourages you to share this material with others in church bulletins, personal emails and other non-commercial uses. Please see our Usage Guidelines for more information.
Search

      © 2008 Mike Barres.

      Title: "Emotional Residue"
      Author: Mike Barres
      Publication Date: December 07, 2008

 
Together in His Grace
 
 
Hundreds more articles
like this are in the
ARTICLE ARCHIVE
...or search to find an article by keywords:

  Visit our Sponsors

Heartlight only exists because of your support! Click above to visit a sponsor, or donate to join us in our ministry.

   
May we suggest...
Facing the Giants, DVD
by Alex Kendrick
Facing the Giants, DVDCreated by a church in Georgia to evangelize non-believers and encourage believers, this inspiring story about a losing high school football coach with a new game plan will have your whole town talking about trusting God for the impossible!

  Find More Books & Music:
Christianbook.com
Mike Barres Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

RSS Feed of All Heartlight ArticlesAll Heartlight Articles

'Together in His Grace' RSS FeedTogether in His Grace

RSS Feed of Mike Barres's ArticlesAuthor Mike Barres

More Heartlight Feeds

Subscribe
Get Heartlight articles and devotionals by email FREE every day!
Daily Heartlight
Today's Verse
What Jesus Did!
Quotemeal

More Information

 

 

RSS Feeds  |  Advertising  |  Support Heartlight   |   Help  |  Contact Us  
HOME     topTOP HEARTLIGHT® Magazine is produced by Heartlight, Inc. HEARTLIGHT is a registered service mark of Heartlight, Inc. PO Box 7044, Abilene, TX, USA 79608-7044. Copyright © 1996-2009. Heartlight is supported by Westover Hills Church, Southern Hills Church, and loving Christians from around the world. Scripture quotations are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. Used by permission. All rights reserved.