Jill Johnson
By JILL JOHNSON
I think I have said before that we have four granddaughters who live with us. They are 16, 14, 12, and 9 years old. Let's just say that at any time on any day, emotions run high over here. Things can fall apart if someone doesn't have the right clean clothes they want to wear, we are out of Doritos for lunch, their hair isn't curling correctly, and just a ton of other things can go wrong.
There have been a couple of mornings when Wayne or I were taking one of the girls to school, and nothing was going right. We have learned not to try to explain or give suggestions, but just say "I'm sorry," to everything that is said to us. We always say we love them when they get out of the car and hope their day gets better.
This scenario happened just recently with one of the girls. As I was driving back home, the Lord totally convicted me. I have to say, the last few weeks, my emotions have been out of control. I have not been quite as verbal as my car rider was, but I have cried a little….ok – a lot! I feel like I am trying to sort out in my mind “reasons” and “solutions” to all the problems that my friends, my family, and I are dealing with. Believe me when I say it’s just not possible!
I looked up the definition of “emotion” and it said a state of mind that comes from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. I’m pretty sure I’m dealing with emotions on all three of these levels. God gently reminded me that my emotions can run rampant with my circumstances, mood, and relationships unless I filter in truth - God’s truth.
Take my circumstances. I want everything to run smoothly and for everyone to be happy and content. In reality, that is not my job, and I am totally not in control of that. I can’t let my circumstances rule my emotions and be at their mercy. God wants me to look beyond my circumstances. My job is to rest in my circumstances. I have to remind myself that as I rest and remember how good God is, how much He loves me, how He has the ability to do so much more than I could think or imagine, I am able to trust my circumstances to Him.
Next is my mood. I can be a little like my car rider and just let my mood rule my life. I don’t know about you, but if my mood is controlling me, I am all over the place. Sometimes I am sad, weepy, mad, etc., and I really cannot pinpoint why I am feeling that way. It may be one little thing, but it turns into a much bigger thing. God is not honored when I am all over the place. If I think about it, I am totally allowing my mood to affect my peace. God is not the author of confusion, and I don’t believe I hear Him when my mood is ruling my emotions. I have to recognize my mood, release my emotions, and trust God. The best way for me to do this is to read scripture and remember.
Remember that God tells me He is near to the brokenhearted, He saves the crushed in spirit, weeping may tarry but joy comes with the morning, and to rejoice always in all things. Am I saying this is easy? No!
It is a decision I have to make sometimes over and over again throughout the day. I have to release my mood and replace it with joy!
Last are my relationships. I value my relationships because we need each other. I remember when we moved when I was in elementary school, and my heart hurt because I was moving away from my friends. When Wayne and I moved to Jefferson, we had to change churches. It wasn’t feasible to drive 50 miles one way to church.
I decided to retire several years ago. One of the things I knew I would miss the most was my work relationships. I still do some contract work, so I am able to see and keep those relationships going.
We have dear friends with whom we went to church for many years before we moved to Jefferson. It was so very hard to change churches. We had been at that church for over 25 years. So many memories with friends were made at that church, and really, lifelong friendships were developed there. We need our friends.
I have learned we have to work at being a good friend. We especially need those friend relationships that build each other up and offer encouragement and Godly advice. The Bible says two are better than one, they have a good reward for their labor, and a friend loves at all times. We are called to be a reliable friend in our relationships - not just sometimes, but all the time. We cannot impose our opinions, wants, and desires on our friends. We have to strive to be a consistently good, trusted, dependable, loving friend in our relationships. We need to point them to Jesus as He is the reliable friend that can always be trusted.
Unfortunately, I know I will (and probably have) let my friends down. God will not! I need to be the best friend I can be. However, I don’t need to think I can be more reliable than my God, or for that matter, think my friends can be more reliable than God.
These are difficult times we are living in, and we have difficult decisions that face us every day. We have many, many things tugging at our emotions. We can be joyful, fearful, sad, and angry, which can lead us to be emotionally drained. I don’t want to spend my days like that because I know that is not what the Lord wants of me.
God speaks in peace….not fear, anxiety, and out-of-control emotions. God is still in control. He is not finished with us. We have work to do for the Kingdom. He has a plan, so just trust Him.
Won't you join me in striving to start each day resting in our circumstances, releasing our moods, receiving joy, and being a reliable friend who trusts her day and future to our most reliable Father.
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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
