Direct Your Emotions Toward a Positive Ministry

Current Teaching Series When You're Hoping for a Miracle

Direct Your Emotions Toward a Positive Ministry By Rick Warren — Feb 12, 2018 “Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:5 TLB). If you want to succeed in life, you must learn how to master your moods. When you’re dealing with an emotion that’s holding you back, you’ve got two options: You either change it, or you direct it. Some emotions are so destructive, so damaging, so hurtful, so non-effective, the only thing you can do is change it. You’ve got to change what you’re feeling. Philippians 2:5 says, “Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ” (TLB). Your attitude includes your emotions, so what you’re feeling should be the same as that of Jesus. You need to ask yourself, “How would Jesus feel in this situation? Would Jesus get irritated with this waitress? No. Would Jesus yell at that person? No. Would Jesus be up all night, wringing his hands and worrying that it isn’t going to work out? No. Would Jesus be fearful? No.” Then, you instantly dismiss any feeling that doesn’t make you more like Jesus. If Jesus wouldn’t respond to your spouse with that emotion, then you shouldn’t either. You drop that attitude, and you figure out what Jesus would do instead. Sometimes you need to direct what you’re feeling. When my son Matthew died, I entered into the deepest possible grief you can imagine. But my wife and I decided from the first moment that we were going to channel that grief for good and use our pain to help other people. That’s one of the reasons Saddleback Church now hosts an annual conference on mental illness. I’m not about to waste a hurt I go through. I’m going to use it for good. Your greatest ministry will not come out of your strengths and successes. Your greatest ministry could come out of your deepest pain. What pain in your life are you using for good? If you have been in so much pain you didn’t even want to talk about it, then you need to learn to manage your emotions. You need to name the emotion, challenge it, and direct it if you’re not going to change it. Then, you use it for good. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why is it sometimes easier to feel the emotions we want to feel instead of what we know Jesus would feel in that setting? Think of a time you either changed or directed an emotion. What did you learn from that experience? What pain in your life can you use to help other people?   ​

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Series Summary Session 1: When You're Running Out of Everything Session 2: When You Can't See Your Way Clearly Session 3: When You've Come Up Empty Session 4: When You Feel You're Sinking Session 5: When a Marriage Has Ended Session 6: When You're Drowing in Debt Session 7: When a Friend is Dying PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe