January 8 Devotion- Renewing My Mind- Step 3: Express Those Emotions

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

ولا تشاكلوا هذا الدهر. بل تغيّروا عن شكلكم بتجديد اذهانكم لتختبروا ما هي ارادة الله الصالحة المرضية الكاملة.

Romans 12:2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

In the last devotions I wrote:

In the next 10 devotions I will share with you 10 steps to clean up or detoxify the brain. Let’s learn to apply them.

These steps are adapted from The Bible, a book by Dr. Caroline Leaf (a Christian author) and other teachings I learned.

Step 1: Consciously Control Your Thoughts

Step 2: Frame Your World with Your Words

The Apostle Paul was dealing with difficult emotions. They were so powerful that we can imagine that they were tearing him apart. He chose to express his emotions, not out loud to himself, not to a group of friends, no; he put them in writing for the whole world to see for thousands of years. We can deduct that there is a big value of expressing our emotions and not bottling them up inside as some of us do. He needed God’s help. He needed to renew his mind. Let’s read his feelings:

But I discern in my bodily members [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh].

²⁴ O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death?

²⁵ O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

وَلكِنَّنِي أَرَى فِي أَعْضَائِي نَامُوساً آخَرَ يُحَارِبُ الشَّرِيعَةَ الَّتِي يُرِيدُهَا عَقْلِي، وَيَجْعَلُنِي أَسِيراً لِنَامُوسِ الْخَطِيئَةِ الْكَائِنِ فِي أَعْضَائِي.

²⁴ فَيَا لِي مِنْ إِنْسَانٍ تَعِيسٍ ! مَنْ يُحَرِّرُنِي مِنْ جَسَدِ الْمَوْتِ هَذَا؟

²⁵ أَشْكُرُ اللهَ بِيَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ رَبِّنَا! إِذَنْ، أَنَا نَفْسِي مِنْ حَيْثُ الْعَقْلِ، أَخْدِمُ شَرِيعَةَ اللهِ عَبْداً لَهَا؛ وَلَكِنَّنِي مِنْ حَيْثُ الْجَسَدِ، أَخْدِمُ نَامُوسَ الْخَطِيئَةِ عَبْداً لَهُ.

Romans 7:23-25Amplified Bible (AMP)

Step 3: Express Those Emotions

If you repress and hide toxic emotions, the time will come when those buried emotions will suddenly come pouring out, and of course, it will happen at the most inopportune time, because buried emotions are not controlled, thoughtful emotions.

Signs of suppressed emotions (beside illness in your body), include:

Irritability, short temper, over-reactivity, anxiety, frustration, fear, impulse, a desire for control, perfectionism, self doubt.

Realize that The Bible tells us “In your anger do not sin” Ephesians 4:26 and ‘an angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.’ Proverbs 29:22. We need to be able to express our emotions in a controlled and effective manner.

Don’t deny your feelings. Acknowledge them, face them and deal with them in a positive way as soon as you can. Expressing emotions in a healthy way is an important step in detoxing the brain.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself and to meditate on it:                                                                                                                                               

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and inseparable love. Lord, help me to acknowledge my feelings and express them to you in prayer, may the Holy Spirit indwelling in me give me healing and support to do the right thing according to your will.  Help me Lord to be able to express my emotions to my brethren in an effective constructive way that is according to a win-win approach. Heavenly Father, please continue to teach me to renew my mind so that I can be transformed to be Christlike, to feel Your joy, to live Your good and pleasing will for my life. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and I pray in His Holy Name. To Him be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein