Spiritual Depression: #6 “Feelings,” a sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
My thoughts:
In 2 Timothy 2:1:6 Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift of God.”
This sermon was very good and it pointed out many ways I could pursue the subject of feelings and the Christian. But, I think I’ll focus on Christian people who have panic disorder and how feelings come into play with them. I was once one of those people so I can identify with that.
What do we do with our feelings? If you have panic attacks you know feelings play a very important part in them. In my book, Panic Buster, I talk about that “first feeling.” That is the feeling you get that alerts you that you might be going to have a panic attack. For me that first feeling was a rapid and strong heart beat I became so aware of. It made my mind race and think the “what if” thoughts. I could not get my mind off of my feelings. First the rapid heart rate, then the sweaty palms, then the weak legs and so on. These were not good feelings; and guess what? They were controlling me. My feelings were taking over my mind and I was on my way to a full-blown panic attack. Feelings! It seemed they were my worst enemy!
I never really did understand my feelings back then. I didn’t know they could not be trusted. I didn’t know they were controlling me. Now, in looking back, I can see it clearly. My feelings took over and caused me to be an unproductive Christian person. I was at their beck and call. I was their slave. I was a slave to fear!
Feelings aren’t bad really. God created us with feelings, and God even has feelings. He can be angry, loving, kind, and jealous. These are all feelings or emotions. He made us that way. It is only when our feelings get out of control that they are bad.
So my take-away from this sermon is that we need self-control over our feelings. The good new is we as believers have the Holy Spirit living in us therefore we can have self-control because it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He supplies it.
Gal 5:22-23 NASB But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Do you realize a believer has a big edge over an unbeliever in conquering panic attacks? That’s right! We are not the same at all. They do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives and the power He supplies. They are left to their own resources to battle fear. It is a losing battle! I know I tried it before I was a Christian, and I hit bottom. We have been blessed with the power which comes from on high. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Isn’t that wonderful? If you suffer from anxiety, stress, and panic attacks and are a Christian than you have hope. You can get better!
It was after I became a Christian that I began to get well. I read and studied my Bible. I learned what the God of all creation was telling his children and there were many lessons for me. I put them to work in my life and I did get well again.
If there is any sin in our lives we must admit it, confess it to God, and turn from it. We need to hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Mat 5:6 KJV Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
What does this mean? We need to desire deeply to please God. And, the only way we can do that is by studying the Word and then obeying it. Do you know that worry is a sin? Again, here we need self-control over our thoughts and feelings. The person who has panic disorder worries. Worry won’t help anything and is in fact a waste of time. It makes us more anxious and contributes to take us down the road to more panic attacks. So, this is a sin that we must confess, and repent of. Seek God’s face and turn from your sin and you can again have self-control over your feelings.
Learn to enjoy your feelings! There are many good ones.
