Emotionally Mature Living I Thessalonians 5:16-17 - BLOGGING THE BIBLE- JournalHome.com

10/12/2009 - Emotionally Mature Living I Thessalonians 5:16-17

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Emotionally Mature Living

REFERENCE: I Thessalonians 5:16-17 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God´s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Observation: Here is the key to emotional equilibrium;

1.    Decide to be joyful. Does that mean to simply fake it? No, it reminds us that joy is a fruit of the Spirit and comes from God. We need to go back to Him and into His presence as much as is necessary to find the joy to sustain us.

2.    Make prayer a habit. Offloading our problems, concerns and stresses onto God´s strong back will keep us in peace and free from anxiety. When we pray we remind ourselves that God is in control and that is an emotionally safe place to be.

3.    Be thankful. Remembering all the good things in our lives keeps us positive. Negativity comes when all we can see is what we are missing out on. We need to, daily, be reciting the gracious gifts God has given us.

Application/Confession: Of these, the most difficult for me is to remain joyful. It is simply not my personality. I need to remind myself of where joy comes from and get myself there regularly. I can not, I will not, settle for living an unjoyful life.

PRAYER: Teach me Lord, to live in Your joy. In Your presence is fullness of joy so teach me to live there. By Your grace would you cause to blossom joy as a fruit of the Spirit.

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