What is your emotional temperature? (Day 4 of our challenge against seasonal depression) - EncouragementMama.com

*Please note that I am not a licensed physician or medical professional of any kind. All advice, tips, and resources on this blog are given purely from personal testimony, Biblical wisdom, and encouragement. If at any time, you feel hopeless or in despair, please do not hesitate to call your physician, seek medical help, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. (Find out more HERE.)

What is your emotional temperature?

Did you know that when emotions are left unchecked, they can lead us into a spiral of depression? See if you can resonate with any of the scenarios below:

You just can’t seem to forgive someone, no matter how much you try. And when that person comes to mind, it almost always brings you down.

You are quick to anger, often reacting instead of responding. But then, you feel guilty about it later.

You tend to be a negative person, always seeing the glass half-empty instead of half-full. Your pessimism leads to feelings of depression.

You easily dwell on sad memories or things of the past. It’s difficult for you to let go.

God created us with emotions.

Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

And He opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

(Matthew 5:1-9 ESV)

I love the range of emotions Jesus listed in the Beatitudes. And by the way, Beatitude means “condition of blessedness.” Our emotions can be a blessing to us, especially when we display them in ways that are glorifying to God and edifying to the body.

Even when we struggle with certain emotions, we can be sure that…

Our sadness is comforted by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the encouragement of the word.

Our anger is tempered by the gentleness of God and the calming words of the Scriptures.

Our resentment is challenged when we remember the grievances from which Christ forgave us.

Our pessimism is showered by God’s goodness and joyful affirmations.

How can you begin to gauge your emotional temperature?

Today’s Action:

Similar to the chart I made for my son when he was little, draw a simple illustration of a thermometer and divide it into 3 segments. The lowest segment at the bottom is where you start your day. The second segment on the thermometer indicates your emotions are rising up in unfavorable ways. The third segment of the thermometer means that your negative emotions are getting the best of you.

Choose 3 different colors to represent the bottom portion, (peaceful emotions), the mid-section of the thermometer, (rising emotions), and the top of the thermometer, (unfavorable emotional state). And in case you don’t have an artistic bone in your body, Here is a free clip-art image from clipart-library.com that you can print. (You may need to adjust the size in order to get it to print on one page.)

For the next several days, keep track of your emotional temperature by visually seeing how your negative emotions may be leading to seasons of depression. Use a marker to chart your emotions each day. Perhaps, like my son, you will begin to deal with your negative emotions before they get the best of you. I pray you’ll be able to see which emotions are draining you of the life-giving joy Jesus has to offer.

Keep up the great work! We are almost to the half-way point of our challenge. And as always, I would love to hear from you. How are the daily challenges helping you things from a different perspective? What has God revealed to you so far?

Always an email away,

Jennifer

*Additional resources for your journey:

Emotional Phases of a Woman’s Life by Jean Lush (This is a book that I was able to find at a thrift store for 99 cents.)