LOVE THAT GROWS WITHIN

A collection of devotional series for women
BY LUCIA BRACHO

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

You gotta know what they are...

Emotions are beautiful, yet dangerous; they can go from sparks to fireworks to fire--If you know what I mean! To have a deeper understanding of what they are, we ought to dive into its concept. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, an emotion is a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body, i.e. A state of feeling.

Thus, what are feelings? The same dictionary defines a feeling as a basic physical sense; an emotional state or reaction.  I know it sounds like a tongue twister, but bear with me on this one! I am going somewhere here! The definitions are a must-know in order to recognize them when they show up; often they rise as high as the Chicago Skydeck but fewer times they come as slow as a broken elevator...I know, that wasn’t a good example! But you get the point, right? Simply put, emotions and feelings are attached; you can’t have one without the other one. One could say they are like peanut butter and jelly- inseparable. Both play a role in our decision making and in our God-given purpose. We women are oftentimes showcased as weak because we show our vulnerability more than men...! But how are we allowing God to regulate our feelings and emotions?

I made a god out of emotions

Last year I heard from God that He wanted me to be fruitful (Colossians 1:10). In order to do that, I needed to stay focused on the heavenly matters and that meant no heart matters involved. I told myself “cool beans! You came out of an almost seven-year relationship and you need time to heal.” Well, it’s easy to say it than to put it into action. To obey. The Bible says that obedience is better than any sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). On the same note, John Bevere says in his Under Cover book that, partial obedience is total disobedience. It was easy to say it until my emotions got compromised. I started to hang out and talk to a guy at church; our “friendship” evolved into more hangouts and late night video calls- but hey! It was all cool, right? I was not in a season to feel and we were just friends. Well, I made myself believe that. Soon, confusion hit me, and I found myself liking this guy, but every time I felt unsure, I remembered God’s word to keep me on track. It worked for a while until it didn’t anymore.

Abba knows best!

On one hand, I was enjoying this guy’s attention and care and on the other hand, I was losing connection with my Father; I was disobeying him. I let my emotions control me; little by little I opened a door that was supposed to be closed for that season. I was not ready for a relationship yet I wanted to “feel”. Everything went on a downward spiral bringing unnecessary pain to my life. The cherry on top of the ice cream was reading the Killing Kryptonite devotional addressing false gods and idolatry and hearing the Holy Spirit telling me “when you know the will of God and yet you choose to follow your ways, that’s idolatry.” Say what? My inner self froze! I couldn’t believe what I just heard: Are you telling me I was choosing to follow my emotions over the word of God? He convicted me. I panicked, I was afraid of the wrath and jealousy of God. I’ve read well enough of it (Exodus 32) but the fact that I was falling for it made me sad and furious. It took a revelation from God, fervent prayers, intercession and true repentance to get me out of that pit! I witnessed once again the grace and love of God. I learned that I can’t trust what I feel but I can trust his word and plans for my life. I learned that Abba knows best!

God the source of my everything

God wants to be the center of our happiness. I’ve learned with time and experience that my happiness can’t be attached to someone or something. I’ve been there before, and God has shown me that friends can’t provide joy, money can’t provide joy, a boyfriend can’t provide joy, but when Jesus is the center-the power of your Joy- we can surely experience the fullness of his love. The Bible says to love your Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul (Mark 12:30). How about you switch the word love for joy? It will be something like this; be joyful in the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul. That is powerful my friends!

Key points

• Are emotions and feelings dictating/affecting my journey to my God-given purpose?

• Have I given God the throne of my heart? He is God of all or not at all!

• His spirit, his love, and his power dwell within me. He is my source. (2 Timothy 1:7) (John 4:4-26)

• Am I following Jesus with all my heart, my mind, and soul? (Mark 12:30)

Prayer of the week

Jesus, I trust in you. Give me wisdom and show me revelations of your love and plans for my life. I ask you Holy Spirit to come, like a rushing wind, to possess all the corners of my heart-all is yours. I want to please you and bring honor to everything I do! In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!