‍And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NIV

Let’s face it – emotions can be an ugly thing sometimes. Satan can use them to his advantage over us. He can get us so wound up and upset that we begin to doubt everything we are in Christ. I can absolutely attest to this! Let me tell you a little more…

I was a very sensitive kid and grew up to be a very sensitive adult. Now that is not a bad thing all of the time. Because I was sensitive, I could always sense those who were being picked on or who were not as sure of themselves, and I would befriend them. See – not a bad thing.

However, I suffered from clinical depression for most of my life, and my emotions would sometimes take me places that I did not want to go. I would look in the mirror and not be happy with my looks. The devil would whisper,

You will never measure up to (fill in the blank) across the street.

Before I knew it, I convinced myself I was the ugliest person on God’s green earth. One time I looked at my report card, and I did not have straight A’s – I had a B on there, too. The devil would whisper yet again,

Don’t bother trying. You are not smart, and you will never amount to anything.

I got to the point that I had to pry myself to go to school because I was scared to death of failing again. Do you see how our emotions can get the best of us?

Without remembering who we are in Christ, we can potentially set sail on very unpleasant trips in our lives – sometimes going into dark depressions or being paralyzed with fear. What happens when our emotions get all twisted out of shape? We have no PEACE. That is what I remember so much in my childhood to young adult years – I had no peace in my life at all. Very simply, I not only forgot God was with me, but I also forgot God created me. I let Satan rule my thoughts, so I thought the absolute worst about myself.

Thankfully, the Lord gently reminded me that I was His daughter and I was LOVED BY HIM. WOW! The Lord loved ME.

When I let that reality sink in, I was able to control my emotions and my thoughts when my life occasionally got rocky. I allowed Philippians 4:7 to be my life verse:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I recently saw a bumper sticker that says it all:  NO JESUS – NO PEACE. KNOW JESUS – KNOW PEACE. That says it all!

What are some positive steps you can begin taking?

• When you are having a bad day, tell the Lord about it. He wants to calm your fears and remind you who you are in Him.
• Spend time with Him each day and marinate on just one of His characteristics. Memorize that verse and hide it in your heart.
• I am a firm believer in beginning your day by telling God that you say “YES” to Him for all things that happen that day. That helps me to remember that He is with me every moment.

Father God, I pray for my sisters in Christ who allow their emotions to turn their thoughts away from You. The enemy longs to mess with Your daughters, so I ask that You put a hedge of protection around them and their thoughts. Give them peace – Your peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.