Are Your Emotions Blocking His Blessings?
I sought the LORD, and he heard me. He delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4
The AAA of breaking free from emotional strongholds in the Christian life.
Our family had a wonderful but exhausting day at Disneyland.
We began our drive back home late at night. Just as all three boys fell asleep in the back seat we heard a loud thumping and the car began to bump up and down. We instantly knew we had a flat tire. In the dark, on the edge of the freeway, Marcus took out the spare and replaced the flat tire with our spare. Finally, we were back on the road…but not for long. It became very evident our spare had a flat as well! There was nothing now we could do. We were going to need some help. I got on the phone with AAA roadside assistance and asked them to please bring a tow truck. The tow truck arrived about an hour later bringing a rather friendly and chipper driver along with it. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tow us more than seven miles away. We had to figure out how to get home with three kids in the middle of the night. He strapped our car to the back of his semi and brought us to the nearest Walmart parking lot. Now what? We had never used Uber before but we downloaded the app and found the only vehicle big enough and the only driver up at that time of night to come to get us and bring us home.
There are times when you can simply get in your car and arrive safely at your destination without a bump in the road or a hiccup along the way. And then there are times when you realize there is a problem and you need help to get from where you are to where you need to be.
Emotional strongholds in a Christian’s life are like the nails on a highway or the engine that fails.
Satan uses them to hold a child of God prisoner and keep them in the place they are which is many times far from the place they need to be. They barricade us in defeat and self-loathing. They swindle us into believing there is no way around or no way through. They keep us captive in fear telling us to stay in the safety of the car instead of getting out and finding help. They whisper lies reminding us that we have no power to overcome our emotions.
Lies often mask as partial truths.
When Satan tells me I have no power over negative habitual behavior brought on by giving control over to my emotions he’s both right AND wrong. As a human being born into a fallen world, I don’t have any power on my own to overcome emotional strongholds. But as a child of God, I have the power to both overcome and defeat anything that erects itself against the Word of God and that power is indwelling IN ME.
(read 1 Cor. 3:16, 2 Cor. 6:16, Galatians 2:20)
The problem lies in our belief!
When I called AAA I had no doubt in my mind they were going to come to my rescue. It took a little longer than I had liked but they came! When I called Uber I didn’t question whether or not the driver would come. I just waited for him to arrive. So why when I call out to God in my distress and heartache do I distrust His ability to come to my rescue when He has assured me OVER and OVER again in His word HE WILL?
Sometimes the concept that Jesus could reach the depth of my emotions seems so impossible to believe. Remember when the man whose son had an evil spirit asked the Lord to heal? Jesus spoke, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”. The man replied, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Of course we struggle with unbelief. We are human and it’s hard to believe in things we have yet to see. After the man asked Jesus for help with his unbelief what did Jesus do? He rebuked the evil spirit and it left his son. He didn’t tell the man to come back later when his unbelief turned to belief. No, don’t you see what Jesus did? He helped this man’s unbelief! I would dare say that after the healing of his son, that pleading man’s unbelief changed in an instant. All he had to do was what I call the AAA of breaking into the freedom God so desires for each one of His Children.
AAA
Acknowledge
Ask
Act
Whether your Emotional Stronghold is doubt, pride, anger, stubbornness, defeatism, control, poor self-esteem, or some other stronghold that is undermining God’s amazing plan for your life, there is no doubt that they are also bringing about habitual negative behaviors that are having an adverse effect on you and the lives around you.
If you are reading this and are thinking…I have tried EVERYTHING. There is no hope for me. I will always continue to struggle in the area of _____, guess what? The person writing this said the very same thing when struggling with the same battle. In fact, she even used the words “I don’t even think God can help me.” OUCH! Now, that is unbelief! But God didn’t give up on me and He won’t give up on you! If you are reading this then that is a sign He is still chasing you, still pursuing you, and He wants you to live in the freedom you were meant to live in when He made you a “new creation.”
ACKNOWLEDGE
First, we need to acknowledge the problem.
This was difficult because my emotional stronghold of pride, control, and anger masked itself as simply the result of my environment. The problem (to me) wasn’t within myself, it was everyone else. It wasn’t until I was able to acknowledge that my sinful behavior, regardless if it was the result of hurt or rejection, was wrong and needed to be addressed. It was only then I was able to take the steps to uproot the stronghold they had in my life.
What stronghold has taken root in your life?
Here are some questions to ask when trying to identify your stronghold.
What sinful behaviors am I habitually exhibiting?
Lashing out, negative speech, idolatry ( placing anything else on the throne other than God), self-righteousness, etc.
What brought about those sinful behaviors?
Rejection, fear, envy, greed, lack of self-esteem, disappointment, etc.
Why did the thought or experience lead to sin?
Need for control, self-protective stance, looking for others for identity, disbelief God can come through for me, idolizing peace or respect, etc.
I struggled with a scripture passage where the disciples could not heal a man’s epileptic son. They came to Jesus and wondered why they could not heal this boy. Jesus then turns to the boy and casts out the demon! I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t lack of faith but the mere fact they weren’t calling it what it was. They were trying to heal epilepsy (because that is what the father assumed the boy was ill from) when, in fact, he was possessed!
Identify your sinful behavior without excusing the action. Acknowledge YOU, my sweet friend, need the change of heart. No one else can give you the peace you are so craving other than God, so stop trying to create peace through negative behavior and seek it where it may be found. That leads us to our next step, Ask.
ASK
I encourage you to read Jehosaphat’s story in 2 Chronicles chapter twenty. Jehosaphat is the king of Judah and he receives news that a large army is coming to attack. He gathers the people, declares a fast, and prays. In His prayer, he says, “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
I love this! Jehosophat acknowledges he has a problem. In fact, it’s a problem so problematic that he states that they have absolutely no power to stand against it on their own. He then goes on to ASK. If you read the full chapter you will hear how Jehosaphat declares the Lord’s deliverance in the past, states his problem, declares he has no power on his own, ask asks God for deliverance. He and the kingdom cry out to God and plead for Him to intervene. There is no way to fight this battle if God does not step in.
They ACKNOWLEDGED the problem.
They ASKED for God to do what they could not.
And next, they ACTED!
ACT
Just after Jehosophat and all of Judah cried out to God He answered and gave them instructions:
13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
YIKES!
They were going to have to trust that God was really going to come through for them because God told them to go and stand before than enemies and be still! But this act of obedience would lay down the track for God’s power to come through. What if Judah said, “NO”? What if they refused to come face to face with their enemy like God had commanded them and remained in the “safety” of their homes? All the Ackowledging and Asking would have been for naught. Their mere act of disobedience would have cost them their lives. And, the truth is, it’s costing ours!
This, my friend, is the hardest and most critical piece of the transforming process. This is the part where you make the decision to get out of the boat and walk on the water. This is where you prove your belief in God’s Word. Why is this step so important? Because obedience is important.
1 John 2:3-4
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
We demonstrate that we truly know the Lord by, what? Yes, we demonstrate it by obeying. We demonstrated that we know the Father by acting on what He said and commanded.
When we ACT Jesus makes a promise…
John 14:23
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
John 15:14
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
Luke 11:28
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Obedience in areas we have habitually acted in disobedience will seem quite counterintuitive. It will not be natural because we have made sin such a natural part of our Christian life. We have expected God to bless us because often times we take the first two steps but find it impossible to walk in obedience. It is impossible, for you; but, nothing is impossible for the One inside you.
In John 14-16 the Holy Spirit is referred to as the greek word paraclete, which means to “come alongside” of and “help”. He who is living inside of you is your helper! In Him, we are no longer a slave to sin. We put off our former conduct and live as a new creation. The problem is we want to have the benefits of a child of God but conduct ourselves as if He has not saved us from the very things that held us captive.
So what is God calling you to action in?
I had experienced years of fear. I feared being hurt by others and it caused me to lash out when I became insecure. I was blinded to the fact that I had placed my identity in people rather than God. I was idolizing peace in this world and worshipped that rather than God. I was willing to do anything to get this peace even if it meant sinning like living in unforgiveness or saying hurtful words to get my point across. I was excusing my sin of bitterness, lashing out, pride, or loathing in self-pity as the result of someone else’s actions.
I knew God’s word said a child of God should act differently but I had every excuse to justify my sin. That wasn’t good enough for God. While I was chasing peace I remained in turmoil. As I pursued my selfish desires they were mere illusions keeping my eyes off of the only thing that would set me free, and that is truth. The truth is the Word of God and His Word said to take my burdens to him. He told me to surrender all and He would fight my battles. He told me as I run to Him, He will give me rest.
So what did that look like?
After a full year of battling anxiety and severe depression, I had nothing left. I fell on the floor of my living room and told God I was done doing it my way. My prayer went something like this, “Dear God, I’m ruining everything. The more I try to take control the more I lose. God, I KNOW what you want me to do but I’m afraid. I’m afraid you won’t be able to turn things around. I’m afraid you are going to let me get hurt. I’m afraid you can’t change the hearts I’m trying so desperately to change. I’m afraid it’s hopeless. I see no way for anything to change. But God, nothing is impossible for You. Please start with me. Change my heart. Give me a fresh heavenly perspective to see what I cannot at the moment. Change my hardened heart to be able to walk in obedience. I know if you can touch it then healing is coming. I’m surrending everything over to You. You made a promise to me and You have to do what you say, You do not lie. I will do it your way. Amen”
Guess what? I didn’t see an angel appear to me from the sky declaring my future would be glorious from here on out. It all seemed kind of the same. But, it wasn’t long before a situation happened that caused my heart to swell in fear. “Okay God,” I whispered. “This is the part where I obey rather than follow the leading of my flesh. “God, I want to address this situation and seek assurance and affirmation. I want to get mad. I want to say some pretty terrible things right now. I want to release this anger I am feeling inside but I know that is not what you tell me to do.”
I thought about the chapter I had read earlier that day, Psalms 34. Verse 4 says, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Okay, God. I am seeking you. Please give me a proper perspective. This is hard. It’s really hard. I feel very insecure. Please help me to control my tongue.
Verse 5, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”
Verse 6, “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles”
Verse 19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
Jesus, you promise blessings to those who obey. Please deliver me out of my affliction.
I didn’t feel immediate peace, in fact, I went to bed that night still quoting that chapter and praying. But, the next morning when the sun’s beams shining through my window shades nudged me awake I opened my eyes and blinked a few times in amazement that I was experiencing a peace that passed my understanding. I wasn’t bothered. I felt a burden had been lifted. Honestly, I was a bit shocked. Why I still get amazed that God actually does what He says He will do astounds me, but I do. Want to know the best part? I had nothing to apologize for. I didn’t have to go make the relationship right between the other person and myself. I didn’t have to ask God to forgive me once again. I didn’t have to wait on His blessing of peace. I was experiencing it, and I liked it. I liked it a lot!
In fact, that peace I received in obedience has motivated me every time I feel the urge to act in my flesh. Psalm 34 has become part of my restoration mantra. Sure, I will probably have days I mess up; but, I can say that my emotions no longer have a stronghold in my life as long as I continue to Acknowledge, Ask, and Act!
You may be experiencing a different stronghold in your life than I had been but we have something in common. We serve the same God! I love that His mercies are new every morning. He is patiently waiting for us finally do it His way. He won’t wait forever and He won’t bless us doing it any other way. There’s no way around it. His way is the best way. His way is the only way.
It’s called a stronghold for a reason. It’s a place that has been fortified. We have allowed our emotions and Satan to build it brick by brick. It’s such a part of who you are that you would be radically changed if that stronghold would be uprooted. There is no possible way for you to remove all the bricks. But I know someone who is in the business of radically changing people! Thank You Jesus.
I’ll ask you what someone once asked me…
“If what you are doing isn’t working, why not try something new?”
Or let’s put it this way…
“If your way isn’t working, Why not try it God’s way?”
Why not, my friend? It’s time to start experiencing God in a Whole New Way!
