Here in the United Kingdom, we witness four seasons yearly: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. My favourite of all four is Summer. I love the different hues that surround me during Autumn. I fall in love yearly, with the flowers that bloom in Spring. Winter comes with its blues, but my oh my!, don't I love the pureness of snow.
Similarly, life offers us various seasons - that blissful moment when a child is born; the gloom that surrounds us when we lose a loved one to death's icy hands; that special moment when we find love....et cetera, et cetera. What a combination of emotions we are served throughout life!
Some of life's events leave us with an indelible scar. We develop certain attitudes based on some of the things we encounter in life. A person who has experienced violent sexual abuse may end up as timid, and with a very low self esteem. Some even end up very promiscuous because of the low value they place on themselves.
The end of an episode in life, may not necessarily be the end. Until we have mastered our emotions and attitudes, we shall always have to deal with the ripple effect of our experiences. When we go through painful seasons, it can take a while for us to be healed. Healing has no set time. It differs from person to person. Some take a day to be healed, and some take decades, and yet are never healed.
A character worth studying in the Bible is that of Absalom. Hurt and bitterness drove him to become a murderer, traitor, and finally it led to his death. Absalom could not master his emotions. He was hurt by what his brother Amnon did to Tamar, his beloved sister. Absalom was right to be hurt - Amnon had raped Tamar, his sister. In Israel, that was an abomination set to destroy Tamar's future. Absalom was angry that his sister's life had been ruined.
Unable to handle his hurtful feelings, he went from one wicked scheme to another, plotting a revenge that only brought sorrow to his father's house, and in the end, caused his death. The Bible is our guideline to handling emotions. It gives us words of encouragement for low moments in life. Concerning hurt and bitterness for instance, the following scriptures can guide us :
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put
away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses
Romans 12: 17-21 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
The Bible is a great guide for dealing with our emotions. We must keep its words in our heart, and also have a personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God understands how you feel, and if you ask Him, He has the power to help you bring the strongest of negative emotion under control.
We can never be sure what life is next going to serve to us. But one thing we can be certain of is that God rules over every Season, including the Seasons of our lives, and therefore can help us steer the ship of our emotions.
When we master our emotions, we shall master the various seasons of life, and face them squarely. Just as we have learned in the United Kingdom for instance, to dress differently to suit different weather conditions, so must we learn how to handle different aspects and stages in life.
I shall leave you with the following quotations to reflect on:
'' Mastering our emotions has nothing to do with asceticism or repression, for the purpose is not to break the emotions or deny them but to ''break in'' the emotions, making them teachable because they are tamed.''
Os Guinness, God in the Dark
The most important of these skills, and power’s crucial foundation, is the ability to master your emotions. An emotional response to a situation is the single greatest barrier to power, a mistake that will cost you a lot more than any temporary satisfaction you might gain by expressing your feelings. Emotions cloud reason, and if you cannot see the situation clearly, you cannot prepare for and respond to it with any degree of control.
( From 48 Laws of Power)
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