Time Tested Tips For Emotional Health

​I spend the lion’s share of my ministry time helping hurting people find healing, restoration and renewal through God’s love in Jesus Christ.

​If you know me, you are aware that I am passionate about restoration. The Lord has given me a compassionate, tender heart and a wise, discerning spirit. Watching God work in the lives of people who are experiencing a life crisis is priceless!
Miracles happen in the hearts of broken people as the Lord mends and binds up their heartache. (See Jeremiah 30:17, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 23:1-3, Psalm 30:11, and Matthew 11:28-30).
Over many years of restoration counseling, I have observed that certain behaviors prevent good-intentioned people from being emotionally healthy and establishing long-lasting, fulfilling, mutually satisfying relationships. As I thought about this in my study today, the Lord put on my heart to share with you ten things you and I can do to have a healthier emotional life.
I must give you a heads up. This list is not for the faint of heart. You may well see yourself in one or some of these tips. Do not be offended. Refuse to become defensive. I am not your enemy. As your brother in Christ, I am in your corner with the Lord. Choose to open your heart and allow God to search you like David did.
“Search me O God and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24
When we permit the Holy Spirit to point out hurtful ways in our life, healing and health is on its way!

• Let God search your heart. Lord, here I am. Warts and all. You know what is on my flops, fumbles and failure list. You know where I fall short. Where I am not healthy emotionally. I need your help to manage my emotional life better. I surrender and submit to You. Go ahead. Examine me. Search me with the light of the Holy Spirit. Heal and restore me with the sword of the Spirit.

You have my unconditional permission to check me out. I promise no more denial, excuses, justification or rationalization on my part.

• Get off the guilt trip train. Why walk around in shame and feeling guilty when God declares you Not Guilty in Christ? (Romans 8:1-2). The blood of Jesus covers your sin and shame. Stop condemning yourself. Lay down that beat stick. Build yourself up.

 

• Stop acting like a control freak. Controllers drive away the very people they want to have in their life. No one wakes up in the morning and declares “I hope someone controls me today.” Controllers are insecure. Surrender your insecurities and trade them in for security in who you are in Christ.

 

• Stop playing the victim card. Stop sucking your thumb and dragging your emotional blankie around! No one likes adult thumb suckers. Take your thumb out of your mouth. Stop pouting. Then burn your I-am-a-victim blankie. Do it right away.

 

• Quit throwing pity-poor-me-parties. Poor me. Woe is me. Nobody cares for me. Everybody hates me. I might as well jump off a cliff. No one would miss me. Oh hogwash! Clean up your self-pity-party pig pen! Get off the pity poor me potty! Stand tall as to who the Bible says you are in Christ!

 

• Stop blame-shifting. If you want your hurt to be healed, stop pointing your finger (Isaiah 58:8-9). Oh, how you and I like to point our finger at others. Somehow, we think finger pointing will make us feel better about ourselves. Blame-shifting shows us how small and emotionally insecure we really are. With the Holy Spirit’s help, take a hard, honest look at yourself. Then adjust your attitudes and behavior accordingly. It is not everybody else’s fault. Maybe it is your fault. Ever thought of that?

 

• Stop pushing the panic button. The sky is not falling every day. Life happens. Good days and not so good ones come and go. People in perpetual crisis drive others crazy! No one wants to come running when you panic and cry wolf over and over again. Prescription for not panicking: Grow up. Get over it. Get on with it.

 

• Relinquish your drama king or queen crown. Leave the drama for the beauty pageants, soap operas and reality shows. Stop exaggerating, over thinking, over generalizing and expecting people to jump and keep adjusting your drama crown.

 

• Give up your whining about entitlement. No one owes you anything. Period. You and I brought nothing into this world and will surely exit without even our birthday suit. Whiners are not winners. You cannot build healthy relationships with emotional losers. Quit whining…. and throw away the Kleenex!

 

• Step off the stupid train. Forrest Gump said “What stupid is, stupid does.” Good line in a movie, but not an effective way to live life. Why stay stupid, doing the same dumb

thing over and over and over again? Why keep stumbling into the same emotional pothole? For goodness sake, drive around the hole in the road. Find a better way to manage your emotions.
Maybe you can add another tip or two for yourself. Get alone with the Lord and run this list by Him. Be quiet. Patient. Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. God loves you and will point out what you need to change in the coming days.
Please take care of yourself emotionally every day. You, your family and friends will be glad you did!
A Word For Your Week: Search my heart Lord, heal my hurts and make me emotionally healthy.