So many of us have situational circumstances interfering with our quality of life. Things such as marital, health, financial or emotional issues that prevent us from truly living and cause us to feel as if we are merely existing. We become discouraged easily as we can’t see a solution to our problem. Our problem has gone on for so long, that we count it as normal when in all actuality it has made life feel abnormal. We feel a deep void but lack knowledge on what we can do to remove the void. We seek distractions looking for fulfillment but life has become dull and pointless to many of you reading. A situation encountered robbed you of joy and hope once held.  What was suppose to be and meant to be turned out entirely different than the anticipation held when it all began.

We tend to resolve our problems by looking for solutions. While looking for solutions is productive, sometimes our method of looking can be destructive.  If we have health issues we seek a doctor. Financial issues we seek other work or curb our spending. Both of these are healthy solutions, especially if we are in prayer and leaning on the Lord to resolve our hardships.

Most of our marital and emotional issues begin with a lack of understanding. Anytime our understanding is weakened,  our over analyzing is strengthened. We begin analyzing every word spoken, the tone used, body language and recall details involved such as smells, location, touch etc. This method of problem-solving is destructive. Why? Maybe because we are leaning on our own understanding of the situation itself.  If we are going to go as far as analyzing all these things, it is because of a certain situation we took personally and experienced heartache in the process. Anytime our heart is involved, emotions run strong. Our emotions can mislead us into thinking things that are not accurate which is why this method is destructive when problem-solving.

The Bible tells us to hold our thoughts captive for a time in order to discern where those thoughts came from. When we fail to hold our thoughts captive,  we become held captive by the very thoughts we think upon. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that the way we think is how we become.

Most of us only think at the level of our own understanding. Our understanding may often be influenced by how we feel at the moment. If our emotions are running high then our understanding may be running low. My encouragement is to call the truth of every situation you encounter. The way we feel is not always the truth of a situation we are in.

To try finding a solution to our problem while under emotional distress, has us missing any logic needed to call the truth of how things truly are. Our emotions cloud our logic. When logic is clouded we tend to lean on our own understanding. Our understanding is the cause of our initial emotional distress, which is the primary cause of our marital issues. We must remove emotions in order to pull logic. I know, it sounds impossible but it is not. Hard? Yes, because we must hold discipline in our thoughts in order to hold discipline in our tongues. The words that come out of our mouths to our spouses, began in our thoughts…

Our thoughts determine if we are truly living or merely existing. See, negative thoughts lead to negative decisions, which are steps through this journey we call life. Our thoughts often throw us off course.

Blessings,

Robin Worgull