Genesis 4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.
There are underlying reasons – pain, hurt or anger, for emotional turmoil. Addressing the symptoms will not fix the problem; the root cause of the emotional eruption, repeated sinful choices and foul behaviour must be addressed to make a permanent change to the emotional destruction. Destructive emotions are “emotions that can lead us to harm ourselves and others — either mentally or physically. Though anger, paralyzing fear, and depression are the most frequent ones, almost any emotion can cause harm” – Daniel Goldman. Destructive emotions will eventually destroy the emotional wellbeing and mar the character of the person.
Cain was outraged with his brother and bitter with the Lord because his offering was not accepted. We see a brilliant counseling session that Cain receives from the Lord God. The Lord addresses the root cause of the outrageous rage and the lethal envy in Cain: Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? (vs 6). He goes on to say that the tempter is waiting to trap him in sinful actions if he hoards animosity and antagonism in his heart. But Cain refused to repent. Destructive emotions led to disparaging actions and resulted in the first murder in the world!
Hate is a murderous and destructive emotion. It spirals from anger, envy and bitterness before it turns into hardcore hatred. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him (1 John 3:15). We don’t have to shoot, stab or dab to commit murder; hoarding hatred is judged as the sin of murder. Address the root cause of the animosity. Forgive and release the abuser. Allow the harm done to you to reform you for we have a God who turns evil into good. God can turn the treachery done to us into a testimony. Destroy the destructive emotions with the love of Jesus.
Destructive Emotions:
1. Hoard: Don’t harbour negative emotions or envy. Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Step back and think rationally. Irrational anger will cause irreversible harm.
2. Hide: Don’t hide and bury your emotions. Confide in a support person and bring it to light. Uncovering bad hidden emotions or struggles serve the dirty demons an eviction notice. The first step to overcoming destructive emotions is to take help, confess, discuss and accept corrections.
3. Hypocrite: Don’t mask negative emotions. The façade will be unmasked and we will be hypocrites to the relationships we value. Be quick to apologize for destructive behaviour.
Hoarding and hiding destructive emotional struggles will morph us into hypocrites.
Don’t sleep over negative emotions; attack them before they attack you.
Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.
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