It was a normal summer day on May 25, 1979. Despite being a few minutes behind schedule, everything was going according to plan for Dennis Whately. It was the day he was supposed to fly from Chicago's O'Hare airport to Los Angeles on flight 191. However, upon reaching the departure gate, he was denied access, as the plane had already been boarded and was ready for take off.
He was infuriated.
"What?!" he exclaimed. "This is ridiculous! I can't believe you won't just let me on!" He screamed at the gate assistant, causing a scene in the tepid airport.
"Sir, I apologize, but the plane is ready for take off," she said. " Unfortunately, it won't come back. However, you can file a complaint and we will do our best to re-schedule you for the next available flight."
Dennis marched over to the customer service kiosk consumed with anger. But as he was writing the complaint, the airport's intercom announced the news that would change his life forever:
"Ladies and gentlemen, American Airlines flight 191 has crashed. There are no survivors."
The woman at the kiosk stood up, looked Dennis in the eyes and asked, "Do you still want to file your complaint?"
Humbled with shock, Dennis returned home. He hung the complaint on his wall, and vowed from that day forward to remind himself that "nothing is as bad as I feel it is".
When was the last time you were so consumed with an emotion that you allowed it to affect your actions? Have you ever been so angry that you were unable to relay your words clearly? Maybe you've been so terrified that you were physically unable to move. Or perhaps you've been so sad that you were unable to get out of bed.
Emotion has a powerful way of clouding our judgement, thus dictating the way we manage situations. While they can be beautiful things that endow life with a sense of vibrancy, our emotions are indicators - they should never be dictators.
Here's an interesting perspective to ponder: sometimes we use our emotions to validate a need for control. We like believing that we have control over what we express and how we express it... But what happens when our emotions become uncontrollable? Or, even worse, what happens when our emotions take control over us? Here's the truth: if not careful, we can become slaves to our feelings. On the contrary, when we choose to surrender all aspects our lives to Christ (including our rich, inner, emotional lives), it frees us from the need for control; and thus, we are no longer in bondage to our emotions.
Romans 12:2 challenges us to "not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind". To "conform" to something implies passive compliance with an established set of rules; which, to me, is the epitome of slavery! Instead of choosing to be compliant with culture, the gospel invites us to "transform" our minds via the process of renewal - and to be renewed, we must surrender something old for something new. Old mindsets for new ones. Old habits for new ones. Old actions for new ones. In a culture where we're constantly told to do, say, and think what we feel, (we know how dangerous that can be!) think of how liberating it would be to not bottle up our emotions, but use them in a way that inspires harmony and introspection. Think of how liberating it would be to use our emotions in a way that honors God and others around us.
To reiterate: feelings are a gift from God! God, too, has feelings and expresses emotions. They are largely beneficial, beautiful, and a part of what makes life meaningful. They should be explored - not left to run amuck! Surrendering our emotions to God gives us the freedom of self-awareness and freedom of healing because emotions are indicative of what's in our heart. As Proverbs 4:23 states, out of the heart are "the springs of life." The heart can either be a well of life, or a cesspool of death - the condition of our heart plays a large part in the quality of life we experience.
Ultimately, feeling fluctuations come down to an issue of control and surrender - slavery and freedom. The choice belongs to us. We can choose to be slaves to our emotions by believing they validate our need for control, OR we can choose to be free by surrendering our emotions to God. Which will you choose?
Thanks for reading! Reflect:
Truly ask yourself: do you live in bondage to your emotions? If so, how does this impact the people around you? (i.e. do people walk on eggshells around you? Do you find yourself in constant mood swings?)
Do you interpret freedom as a choice to surrender your feelings to God? Why or why not?
Crystal ❤️