Your Feelings Are Valid

It’s so easy to assume that as a Christian, my feelings should always be hopeful, faith-filled, positive, and my outlook should always be joyful. I have really struggled with this over the years. Am I allowed to have a bad day? How do I navigate all these feelings?

I have constantly compared myself to other people or other situations and when I do, my journey always comes up short, which in turn leads me to believe that my feelings are invalid. How can I grieve something I don’t yet have when my brother and sister-in-law are grieving the loss of their 2 year old son? How can I bet upset that I am not pregnant yet, when there is someone else in the world who is grieving the diagnosis of cancer, yet I am healthy?

Guess what? God created feelings! He created every emotion: joy, grief, discomfort, etc. He didn’t create them for you not to experience them, but he created them because he knew you would need to experience them. He knew you would go through the ups and downs of life and therefore he created different emotions for you to convey how you are feeling.

Even though your feelings are valid, it’s important that you ask yourself if you have power over your emotions or if they have power over you. For example, it’s valid if you are very sad because you lost a loved one, right? But, what if you are experiencing depression for absolutely no reason? Know that your emotions are valid, but if you are feeling bitter, jealous, angry, short-tempered, depressed, or having any other dejected thought then you need to take action to get out of having those negative thoughts. Through Christ, deliverance from every negative thought is available to you!

Do a gut check to make sure you aren’t bound to your feelings, but instead that they line up to what you know to be the truth of God’s Word. By the power of the Holy Spirit you can find freedom from every emotion so submit them all to Christ. Make sure you give yourself grace to grieve or be sad, but also make sure you take control of your emotions and pursue the abundant life God has called you to live!

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