Overcoming the World

Overview of Emotions: Getting to know this study
It is within our circumstances that we find true strength and figure out who we are in Christ. When you go through the circumstance and allow Jesus to see you through it and come out renewed on the other side of it, that my friends, is the strength we pray for. Allowing God to have control and handle what you can’t, that is the peace we pray for. Remember this, the only things that are in your control are your thoughts, actions and reactions, behavior, and choices, the rest should be left up to God, taking an active stance in faith.
At times we allow our emotions to dictate our behavior and get pulled into an area or areas of sin. Apostle Paul, at one point in his ministry, appeared to be in the same spot we find ourselves in. He appeared to be in turmoil over the conflicting feelings inside him. Let’s look at Romans 7.

Romans 7

Verse 15
For what I am doing, I do not _________________; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I ___________.

18-19
For I know that ___________ _________ dwells in me, that is, in my _________; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I ____________the very ________that I do not want.

24-25
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to ________through _________ ___________ our Lord!

The will to do good is present in all believers and the faithful in Jesus Christ. That ideal can be applied to every modern Christian’s everyday life, but there are forces that oppose that search for righteousness, and sometimes our choices do not mirror our faith. That is where our Lord and Savior comes in. He has freed us from the bondage of that sin with His sacrifice. We have God’s grace through our faith in Christ and a host of other gifts (Ephesians 1: 1-14). He intercedes for us, we have the Holy Spirit who guides us, and Jesus loves us through our struggle with the world. Apostle Paul and others such as Peter, John, James, and the people and prophets of the Old Testament, knew that in this flesh we would struggle with the inner battle at the heart of us. This world is full of temptation, and things that pull us away from the will of God, promising the world and delivering nothing but separation from God (Genesis 3). But…like Jesus commanded, “Take courage, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”
Below, there is a list of the different emotions that we will be discussing in this study. You will find that sometimes these emotions do not act by themselves. One emotion could bring all or more into play along with them. There are many ways to deal with each one of these and we will discuss those ways as we go through each one. Unfortunately, Jesus won’t make the choice for us. We are the ones that have that choice to make. God gave us free will. That is also why He gave us the discipline found in His Word. To guide us in the sanctification process.
True comfort, true guidance, true faith, and true peace come from a close and personal relationship with God. What better way to know how to navigate this world than through Jesus’s example of how to manage our feelings and emotions. He has been there. He understands and through Him, we have a fighting chance. I think that sums up what you will accomplish through this study. Let’s get started overcoming the world.

Day 1: UNDERSTANDING OUR EMOTIONS
This week, since it is only the introductory week, we will explore our tendencies. Which way do you normally manage your emotions? Do you do what most people, including myself, that I know do and hide it as deep down inside of yourself as it will possibly go, so later it explodes out of your face in a violent torrential flood of emotion? Or are you the type that handles your emotions well and speaks your mind at the time in a well-organized, well-spoken voice of reason (again…I need you in my life)? Or are you somewhere in between and let your feelings be disregarded as not important. Do you use any of the following phrases: “it’s not worth the fight, it’s not important, it will work itself out, it wouldn’t do any good anyway”. Do you decide for everyone involved what the outcome will be, what will be said or how it will be dealt with (emotion driven)? By doing this, you are, in fact, taking away someone else’s voice, breaking communication, and you are leaving yours and the other person’s feelings unaddressed.