Peace - Get off the Emotional RollercoasterSample

Yesterday, we started on the five practical steps to abiding in God rather than worldly emotions. First, we have to agree with God, making him bigger than any of our problems. The next step is to believe in his Word, for God’s Word is life and peace.

Third, we need to identify our triggers. What are triggers? John 14:27 says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The word troubled in Greek means to stir or to agitate. Do you have a pet peeve? What’s a pet peeve? It’s something that triggers agitation. We need to identify our triggers. What are the triggers that pull us out of that abiding in our Lord? We all have them. Hebrews 12 says that we need to throw out everything that hinders us. Every agitation is a hindrance to dwelling in the fullness of the Lord. We just need to find out what they are and surrender it to God.

Fourth, we need to choose to deny our body. In our culture, when we’re hungry, we eat. When we’re tired, we sleep. When we have a feeling or something in our mouth that we want to tell somebody, we speak it. We don’t hold back. Society actually encourages us to do that. So what do we need to do?

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul says, “I beat my body and make it my slave.” If we want to be really effective in the kingdom of God, we have to beat our bodies and make it a slave. And how do we deny our body? We fast. Your body starts telling you to change your mind and if we listen to everything it says, we’re abiding by the body. Don’t. Tell your body, “Shut up, body. You will obey me. You will be my slave.” Eventually, your body will learn to submit to the spirit of God. Deny your body.