Walking With Christ

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?(ESV)

There it is for anyone who refuses to believe that emotions can lead us astray. Black-and-white as plain as day. It clearly says that the heart—our emotions—are deceitful. This is proof that emotions don’t matter. After all, facts don’t care about feelings.

Wait. Hold on. Before anyone gets too far down this path…
· Be angry. (Ephesians 4:26)
· Show regret and remorse. (Matthew 26:75)
· Take time to mourn. (Nehemiah 1:4)
· Perhaps, most importantly, take time to empathize with others. (John 11:35)

Emotions are to the mind what the immune system is to the physical body. Just as the immune system can cause physical scars to the body when the symptoms are ignored, the emotional immune system can leave scars on our psyche if symptoms are not dealt with in a healthy way.

Failing to address out emotions leaves us unable to fully embrace the reality of what God has planned for us. If we suppress them, we become vulnerable to attacks by the enemy in a self-imposed blind spot. This hinders our emotional maturity. It doesn’t matter how far back or how painful it is; the brokenness, pain, and trauma of the past need to be addressed properly. Jesus shouldn’t be the co-pilot on this journey either. Until we let Him heal us from beginning to end, the pain will keep coming back, sometimes at the worst possible times and in the worst possible ways, encouraging the unhealthy coping mechanisms that keep us as slaves to sin or, worse, make us slaves to sin all over again.

We are not alone. We are never alone. God is with us; who can be against us? The body of Christ, our fellow believers, is with us. We are worthy. We are worth being fixed, healed, and healthy. Bible-believing mental health professionals, clergy, and many others know this to be true and want to help. It doesn’t matter what the trauma is or how deep it goes. It doesn’t matter what you did or what was done to you. What matters is letting Jesus heal what should have never been.

I don’t know who this message was for, but know that I love you. I mean every word of this and with every fiber of my being am begging you find someone to trust. Even if it’s just God in those precious few moments you get to be alone. Start somewhere. Start now. It’s never too late to become a better version of yourself, one that is ever closer to the you that our Father knows.