Not my will, but yours be done

Religion, family/friends, work and our dreams are what we use and depend on to make us happy. We don’t want to feel lonely so we want friends or a community to keep us company. We work so that we are able to buy things that we need and enjoy; we have faith in god so that he can help us escape unhappiness. Our efforts to be happy and not sad are often frustrated by people and circumstances. Often people hurt us, disappoint us or our plans and efforts don’t work out how we expect.

Worse than things going wrong for us is when we actually do succeed in achieving what we wanted, only to find that we are still not satisfied, we are still not content and happy. Your feelings are a very cruel and demanding master. People who suffer from depression or are held captive by an addiction will quickly tell you how terribly demanding feelings can be.

It might seem crazy but you can actually learn to master your feelings so that you are free to do what you know is right even if you don’t feel like it. You may (at times on a really bad day) feel like throttling your child or spouse — but you don’t because deep down you love them even though at the time you may not feel it. Learn to knock your feelings around: when you’re grumpy do something kind, if you feel like eating chocolate eat something healthy, if you feel lazy do your chores, if you feel depressed help someone out. Learn to master your feelings rather than be mastered by them.

Find out more, watch or listen to the message “Master your Feelings” at www.godsgap.net/feelings

the Rev