Do you ever find your heart (emotions) at odds with your circumstances—in need of an “attitude adjustment?” It happens to all of us. Maybe you got some bad news, ran into a grumpy person, remembered some burden, picked up an anxiety, or just generally slumped into self-pity. Gray days and emotional lows are a part of our spiritual journey, and they are always deceptive! They always blind us to what’s really important, and what’s really good about our lives.
A tweaked spirit can manifest itself in many ways—sadness, despair, discouragement, irritability, frustration, anxiety, self-pity, argumentativeness, anger, relational tension, and more. In these moments, you need a reset. You need something to wipe the emotional slate clean. You need a forced restart of your emotions.
Here are TEN helpful and healthy ways to reset your tweaked emotions…
1. Go to Prayer—Honest prayer. Just lay it all out before God—exactly how you feel. (He already knows.) And ask Him to reset your emotions by His Spirit. Ask Him for HIS perspective. (It’s hard to pray when your heart is tweaked, but that’s why it works!)
2. Go to God’s Word—Truth makes you free. Tweaked emotions are stuck on a lie, like a scratched DVD that won’t play forward. God’s Word will remind you of who God is, and will align your heart back to His perspective and promises.
3. Go to a Godly Friend—Encouraging friends are emotional fuel for an empty tank. Hopeful hearts are contagious. Build an A-list of outside voices who will speak hope into your perspective.
4. Go to a Godly Song—Music is emotion. By it’s very created design, it always impacts our emotions. Music paints emotions into our hearts. Build a play list of songs that lift your eyes from yourself to your Saviour, songs that inspire you to press on!
5. Go to a Good Memory—Memories are gifts from God. Often in His Word God calls His people to “remember” or to “not forget.” Think of the many times God has come through for you. Think of the miracles He’s done in your life. Remember HIM!
6. Go to a Good Book—Good books are like good friends. They shine the light on truth and they speak strength and grace into our hard moments. A good book takes my eyes off of self and places them back onto my Saviour and His eternal purpose for my life.
6. Go for a Walk—Sadness makes us sedentary. So get up and get active. Walk and pray—talk it out with God or a close friend. While you exert physical energy your emotions will change as well.
7. Go to Sleep—Rest for the mind is emotional fuel. Sometimes the explanation is simply exhaustion. Coach Vince Lombardi said it well, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
8. Go to Church—A healthy church will renew and restore your heart. Nothing is better for the soul than fellowship, worship, and community with Christian family!
9. Go on Sabbath—Plan a full day every week for rest. God is your first example in this. On top of this, periodically plan a two or three day get-away to catch your breath. A change of environment with your spouse and your Saviour will change your heart.
10. Go to Serve—Visit someone else in their suffering. Meet the needs of another person. Standing by the bedside of a sick child or praying with a grieving Christian will always reset your perspective on your own trials.
God bless you as you restart your heart for to enjoy God’s best today!
