Feelings vs. Action

Dictionary.com gives the following definitions for feeling and action:

Action –noun: the process or state of acting or of being active: something done or performed; act; deed. An act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity.

Feeling –noun: the general state of consciousness considered independently of particular sensations, thoughts, etc. ;a consciousness or vague awareness; an emotion or emotional perception or attitude; capacity for emotion, esp. compassion; a sentiment; attitude; opinion; feelings, sensibilities; susceptibilities; fine emotional endowment.

I feel like crying, tossing in the towel and giving up. Instead I read my scriptures, pull up my britches, put a smile on my face and go out and do what needs to be done.

I feel like screaming and breaking things, I choose to take a walk around the neighborhood until I feel calm enough to return to the house.

I feel like staying home from work today and calling in sick, I choose to get up, take a shower, get dressed and go to work and make it a good day.

I feel, I feel, and I feel. Sound familiar? How often do we feel one way but have to choose to act just the opposite? Daily, is my response. I battle between my feelings and my actions every single day. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose but in the end the blame falls squarely on my shoulders. If I let my feelings get the best of me I know it is because I chose to let that happen. Thankfully I can repent and through God’s grace and mercy I am blessed to live to see another day wherein I can control better the feelings and allow my actions to govern the day.

Not everyone does this though. Thousand of people get up each day feeling sad, depressed, angry, and out of sorts. They walk around taking their feelings out on the unsuspecting stranger that crosses their path at the wrong time, or the one who switches lanes without a signal light, or who can’t find their wallet and is holding up the line at the grocery store. You get the gist. We have been on both sides of the equation, the feeling and the acting.

How do we keep ourselves from crossing that line? For me, I have to pray, constantly and continuously. I have a running dialogue in my head telling myself that just because I feel one way doesn’t mean I get to act it out. I have to choose the right, the best, and the most appropriate action based on my godly principles not my fleshy feelings.

Be Glad Always

Oh how I used to despise the happy people of the world. You know the ones I'm talking about. They'd have a smile plastered on their face in a hurricane. There's one in every church, school, grocery store, and mall in America; and you can spot them a mile away. Don't let them open their mouths - OMG, I would just cringe to hear them say "what a great day" it was or "how lovely" everything in their life was going. In my mind I would be doing the finger gagging thing while trying to maintain my composure.



Depending on the day and my mood I'd fluctuate between wanting to smack the smile right off their face or vomiting at the unfairness of their apparent joy. I mean really, how can you be happy/glad all the time? Who is glad all the time? What planet are they from? We all have trials and tribulations. We all have life changing events that rock our world, so what makes them any different from us? Why are they always smiling when I want to crawl into a hole and let the world swallow me up? Why do they have joy when all I have is a bowl of lemons staring at me? Why are they laughing their way through life and not crying out at all the injustices around them in the world?



It's only taken me about 25 years to figure out that it had nothing to do with what was actually going on in their lives, but how they chose to let it affect them or not. That it's not the circumstances that affect the mood but the mindset that allows you to react negatively or positively to what is taking place in your life.



I have complete control (woo hoo!) over everything in my life if I learn how to work it. I am in control and for a Type A control freak like me that sounds pretty darn good - or does it?!? Actually, it scares me to death to think that I am in control. That God has allowed me to ponder out in my pea brain how I'm going to handle whatever comes my way. Even if it is as simple as saying - "God, I give it all to you" and to keep on moving forward without looking back, I have that right. I can laugh when I'm hurt, instead of crying; I can have peace in the midst of a storm if I look at it "in the now" and not get caught up in the "what if" game. I can be glad always in my circumstances if I but just believe, have a little faith and trust in His Word.



Again, a simple precept in this life journey that changes something very difficult into something so very simple. But we are a complex people and we thrive on chaos and complexity and snub our noses at simplicity; therefore, too many of us go through life miserable, down trodden and broken at our own choosing. Sigh. And I was one of them.



Now, it is a matter of choice - sometimes easy and sometimes not; but still my choice. Sometimes it happens out of habit or I find myself lamenting about a situation then I stop and say - nope, not going there. It's not worth it (getting in the pit, wallowing around for a few minutes, hours or days and then trying to climb back out filthier than a hog in a mud bath on a hot and humid summer day).



I'm choosing to be glad always, even if it means pasting on the smile in a hurricane and being hated by the masses for finding joy in spite of...





SCRIPTURE

"Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always)." I Thessalonians 5:16, AMP


TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria



How determined are you to enjoy each and every day? In today´s verse, notice how long we are supposed to be glad hearted. As long as people treat us right? As long as we feel okay? As long as the economy is up? No, it says, "Be glad hearted continually and always." That means we´re to be glad in the good times and in the tough times, when it´s sunny and when it´s raining. When those dark clouds are over your head and you feel like life is kind of depressing, kind of gloomy, always remember right above those dark clouds the sun is shining. You may not be able to see the sun in your life right now, but that doesn´t mean it’s not up there.

The good news is that those clouds are just temporary. The sun is going to shine in your life once again. In the meantime, keep your joy. Be glad hearted continually! Don´t let a few clouds sour your life. On the other side of every difficulty, the sun is shining! Make the decision to be glad always, and you´ll move forward in the victory He has in store for you!



A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, today I choose joy. I choose to make the most of every day. No matter what is happening around me, I choose to focus on your goodness so that I can move forward in the
blessing you have for me. In Jesus´ Name. Amen.

Today's Devotional - Set Your Mind

I read a lot of different devotionals every day trying to feast upon the Word as much as I possibly can. It's during this time I get to reflect on my life, my problems and the blessings He's bestowed upon my life.

I learn different ways to handle the trials that come my way and quite often get answers to questions that I've only pondered in my mind.

Occasionally I get gentle nudgings from God to reinforce something that has fallen into my spirit or been shouted to me from the mountain top but I've failed to "hear and obey".

Nevertheless, I count them as blessings as they feed my malnourished soul and when I come across ones that I think will speak to others as strongly as they have spoken to me I share them... be blessed.


TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
“Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Have you ever been laying in bed in the morning and out of nowhere you're reminded of all the mistakes you made yesterday and all the problems you have in your future? That's the enemy trying to set your mind for a negative, defeated, lousy day, but you don't have to fall into that trap.

The Scripture says, “Set your mind and keep it set on the higher things.” This tells us that we have to be proactive. We have to stay on the offensive. When you get up in the morning, have the attitude that David did in the Psalms and say, "This is another day the Lord has made! No matter how I feel, no matter what the economy looks like, no matter what the medical report says, I am choosing to rejoice. I am choosing to be happy this day." You know what you’re really saying? You’re saying, “I’m not going to let other people steal my joy today. I’m not going to let disappointments and setbacks discourage me. I’m not going to focus on my problems and my mistakes. I’m making up my mind to embrace everything the Lord has in store for me.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, I choose to set my day by setting my mind on things above. I choose to shake off the cares of yesterday and focus on everything You have in store for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.