What to do with our emotions

By Rev. Emmanuel Naweji - Harris-Lake Park United Methodist Church

In this note, I would like to encourage by sharing three things. I believe, if we all choose to incorporate them into our everyday living, life will never be the same again for us as individuals and a society.
Looking back at 2020, COVID-19 disrupted life on all levels. Some lost their loved ones. Others lost their jobs. Those who have family members in nursing homes have not been able to visit them as they used to before the pandemic.
All of that has triggered a ton of emotions such as anger, sadness, depression, blame, guilt and more. Whether you are a believer or not, life’s events always trigger any of the above feelings. We cannot avoid that reality because that’s what makes us humans.
But what matters most at the end of the day is: what do you do with our feelings and emotions? I’m glad you asked.
As a pastor, and mentor (and professional coach), I’d say that mastering our response to our feelings and emotions requires both a mental and spiritual exercise. By mental exercise, I mean anything that involves your thinking process. And by spiritual exercise, that implies choosing to believe and practice it everyday.
The foundation for everything you do in life though should always be love. You succeed at everything in life and at work when you do it all out of love. Here’s what this translates into:
• Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (Romans 15:7).
• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).
• Serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10).
When you commit to the above, you will change your thinking process as well as the perception of other people. As a result, you not only transform your way of life but master your response to the changes that life often imposes on us. Your life will never be the same again. May it be so for you and your loved ones in Jesus’ name. Amen!