The Best Source of Stability on an Emotional Roller Coaster

Inside: What we think and believe influences how we feel. And when we find ourselves veering off into the whys or the what-ifs, God’s character is a faithful anchor.~

When you are faced with a difficult situation that isn’t going the way you hoped—perhaps due to circumstances out of your control—what’s your go-to emotion?

Anger or discouragement? Maybe something closer to anxiety or worry?

Whether our response is one of these or something else entirely, one thing is sure. What we think and believe influences how we feel. And when we find ourselves veering off into the emotional morass of the whys or the what-ifs, God’s character is a faithful anchor.

Always the Same

What is true about God doesn’t change according to our circumstances. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. As believers, our names are engraved on the palm of His hand. He loves us with an everlasting love. He goes before us and is with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

These are truths, not clichés. They are not metaphorically hidden in the pages of scripture. They are spelled out clearly and plainly.

Even though we may sometimes think otherwise, God’s love does not cease to apply to us when something in our lives goes wrong. We are not the exception to His promises, His truth or His sovereignty. When trials come, as He explicitly promised they would, His character does not bypass us or our loved ones.

The Essence of Faith

The heart of the matter is this. God is entirely who He says He is all the time, or He isn’t who He says He is at all. It’s that simple, and also that mind-blowing.

This is the essence of faith, I think. Fiercely clinging to the truth about God—to what the Bible says about His character and His ways—no matter what.

No matter how we feel. No matter what someone else does or says. No matter what is happening to people we love. No matter how long it takes God to act on their behalf, or ours, if He chooses to act at all.

I’ve got my own ugly batch of shortcomings and weaknesses, and there are plenty of times when I feel like I’m one step away from complete disaster.

But God—now He is infinitely faithful and trustworthy. He cannot lie, He cannot fail, He cannot cease to be who He is. When we hold fast to that, it informs how we feel about what is happening around us.

Our Natural Response

When people hurt us or bad things happen and our human minds struggle to reconcile what we’re experiencing or witnessing with what we believe, it’s natural to respond with doubt, fear, anger or disappointment. After a time, though, these attitudes can take up so much room in our minds or appear so insurmountable that we start to imagine even God’s grace can’t overcome them.

Maybe we don’t even want it to, if we get right down to it.  Maybe sticking with our doubt, our anger or our fear feels safer and more comfortable than throwing our lot wholeheartedly with the God who has somehow not lived up to our expectations.

But our feelings—about God or our circumstances—don’t change who He is. They don’t negate the work His Son did on the cross for us. They don’t remove us from His family.

God our Protector

As I read through the Bible, I notice how often He is referred to in terms of His protection for us. He’s our rock, the stronghold of our life, our strength, our shield, the mountain where we seek refuge and so on.

It occurs to me that, in addition to all the external enemies God protects us from, He also stands ready to save us from our natural-but-sometimes-not-helpful feelings.

The deeply entrenched disillusionment caused by the bad choices of other people. The periods of anger that stem from circumstances we don’t understand. The forehead-pinching worry about how that next procedure is going to turn out. The fear of what lies ahead that keeps us awake all hours of the night.

All That and More

Those feelings are real and often valid. But they don’t have to control our mind and heart.

One by one, day by day, we can cast our cares and our feelings at the feet of Jesus. None of it will surprise Him, of course. Our Creator knows our words before we speak them, and our feelings before we feel them. He sympathizes with us in our weakness, not because He sinned, but because He was tempted in the same ways we are.

“Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grade to help us in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.