Emotions Make Great Friends, Not Great Rulers

Some time ago, I was ruled by anger and frustration that I held onto inside of me until my Mom’s last words before dying were “don’t be so frustrated darling”. It bothered me that I was frustrated even up to the time my Mother was about to die and those were her last words to me. It also woke me up to the fact that I was letting negative emotions control my life and that’s when I decided to do something about it. I realized quickly that my frustration was rooted in resentment and unforgiveness from ways I was treated in the past by others. I understood that I needed to let go of the resentments and forgive those things that happened to me in the past in order to have a better future.

Emotions like frustration and anger tell us something is wrong and in that way they make good friends, if we can listen. A good friend will tell you something is not right and help you make it better. I can say that since I dealt with these negative emotions ruling me, my life has improved greatly! I have more peace and happiness in my life and that is far better than anger and frustration.

If you’re ruled by anger and frustration and want to have peace and happiness then look back at the root of your resentment from the past, forgive it and let it go! It’s that easy my friend.

THE PROSECUTOR WHO DEFENDED ME

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Many years ago when I was young and  foolish I was drinking heavily at a party.  By the end of the night, or early in the morning, I decided to stagger home. I was passing a closed restaurant when I realized I was hungry and decided to break in to cook myself some food.  So I made my way into the closed restaurant through the ventilation system on the roof.  I ended up falling through the ceiling and landed right smack in front of the grill in the kitchen and thought to myself “this is convenient.”  However, in my drunken stupor I quickly changed my mind about food and made my way to the bar.  I grabbed the biggest bottle of booze and left by the back door and proceeded to stagger home.  The next morning I was woken by two detectives who had some questions for me.  I was very hungover and my head was pounding from drinking the night before.  I knew what they were there for and I decided to admit everything and not lie.  I was brought in to the station and questioned in which I fully cooperated by writing a confession, then they let me go with a court date.  It was scheduled in a couple of weeks and I’ll never forget how worried I was about  jail being a possible punishment.  A couple weeks go by and I am in the waiting room outside the courtroom when a familiar face walks by and notices me.  It was the Crown Prosecutor who was going to be the one to prosecute me for my crime.  I remembered doing some landscaping for him when I was a student a few years prior.  He asked me why I was there and I told him.  He could see that I was very sorry and also worried about jail.  So after a short talk he told me that he would defend me and see to it that I didn’t go to jail.  When my case was called, I stood and the prosecutor began to defend my case. He asked the judge for mercy.  The judge listened to him and I walked out of the courtroom free, feeling very thankful and relieved.  Since that day I changed my ways and never thought of breaking the law ever again.

This was a true story that happened to me so long ago. It has a lot of similarities to the true story of all of us, as we will one day meet the ultimate judge in the great judgement that is to come.  Jesus, who is the actual prosecutor on that day, will prosecute every crime or sin you have committed and the punishment is eternal. But you can become friends with Him by acknowledging Him and confessing your sins, then changing your ways to match His. Then the prosecutor will become your defender and  the judge will grant you mercy and forgiveness so you can be made free with eternal life.  Jesus paid for your punishment on the day he was crucified by being an acceptable sacrifice for your sins.  All you have to do is acknowledge Him and become a new creation in Him so he can defend you. John 5:24 Jesus says  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.   The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.   Finally John 8:36 Jesus says Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. Turn from your ways of sin and death and become a new creation before it’s too late.  Start by repenting and seeking after Jesus by reading His word in the bible and He will be your defender instead of your prosecutor.