Emotional Suffering

Psalm 34:18–19 KJV 1900

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Psalm 34:18–19 KJV 1900

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

What would humans be like if we never became emotional, if we were capable of controlling emotions at all times?

Perhaps we would be like Mr. Spock on Star Trek, as his responses to all situations seem to be purely logical, never emotional.

But God created us in His image, and God’s emotions are revealed in the Scriptures; therefore, God created us emotional beings.

We feel love, joy, happiness, guilt, anger, disappointment, fear, etc.

Sometimes our emotions are pleasant to experience and sometimes not. Sometimes our emotions are grounded in truth, and sometimes they are “false” in that they are based upon false premises.

When we falsely believe that God is not in control of the circumstances of our lives, we may experience the emotions of fear or despair or anger based on that false belief.

Regardless, emotions are powerful and real to the one feeling them. And emotions can be helpful indicators of what is going on in our hearts.

We are not emotionless robots! God made us body, soul and spirit to love God and seek His ways.

Satan often attacks Christians through our emotions. We can be thinking with correct beliefs, yet still fall victim to evil through feelings that tempt us to sin: lust, anger, fear, jealousy, discouragement, etc.

Satan often attacks Christians through our emotions. We can be thinking with correct beliefs, yet still fall victim to evil through feelings that tempt us to sin: lust, anger, fear, jealousy, discouragement, etc.

Sometimes we discount the importance of paying attention to our emotions day by day, thinking that the right convictions should be enough to strengthen us against evil. Yet, when attacks come into our lives, they often enter by way of our emotions.

Suffering gives rise to inner distress, on account of a sense of injustice, frustration, loss or anger. Christ himself provides an example of such suffering to believers.

We often suffer emotionally! It may not be a disease or injury but and emotional trauma. Suffering gives rise to inner distress, on account of a sense of injustice, frustration, loss or anger. Christ himself provides an example of such suffering to believers.

I The Causes of Emotional Suffering

A Sense of Injustice

Psalm 119:53 KJV 1900

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked That forsake thy law.

James Richardson is healing, but it's a long, long process.T

The 77-year-old Florida man recently returned to his hometown of Arcadia, where in 1967 he was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the poisoning deaths of his seven children.

He spent 21 years locked up for the heinous crime -- his children died from lunches laced with pesticide -- after being framed by authorities and alleged by prosecutors to have killed his young for insurance money.

Years later, the woman who had been babysitting Richardson's children while he and his wife were away working confessed to the crime, so Richardson was freed from prison.

Cause of Emotional Suffering

Frustration

Job 19:8 KJV 1900

He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, And he hath set darkness in my paths.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 KJV 1900

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

1 Thess 2.1See also ;

We want to do right but keep hitting the wall or locked doors.

I want to be at church but my children are sick and it goes from one to another.

Emotional suffering

Loss

Genesis 27:34 KJV 1900

And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

Ruth 1:20–21 KJV 1900

And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

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You loose everything. All you worked for is now gone.

Hurricane Katrina 1,000’s without flood insurance ; just packed up and left for Texas. Population of New Orleans still has not recovered.

You worked so hard at your trade and now the factory closes ; you too old to start over ....

Cause of Emotional suffering

Bereavement

2 Samuel 18:33 KJV 1900

And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

Matthew 2:16–18 KJV 1900

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Beth-lehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

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A love one is missed .....

It was a busy morning at the clinic, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in three years now.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in three years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?” He smiled as he patted my hand and said:

“She doesn't know me,

but I still know who she is."

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought -

Cause of Emotional Suffering

Genesis 30:1 KJV 1900

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

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Parting from loved ones

Acts 20:38 KJV 1900

Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

Kids off and remember the days of old.....

Husband or wife leaving

Emotional Suffering

Luke 13:28 KJV 1900

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Genesis 45:3 KJV 1900

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

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Guilt

Matthew 27:3–4 KJV 1900

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

You have no idea what I have done to my family .....

Jesus Christ’s suffering

A preacher of the early 1900s said that when he was 12 years old he had killed one of the family geese by throwing a stone and hitting it squarely on the head. Figuring his parents wouldn’t notice that one of the 24 birds was missing, he buried the dead fowl. But that evening his sister called him aside and said, “I saw what you did. If you don’t offer to do the dishes tonight, I’ll tell Mother.” The next morning she gave him the same warning. All that day and the next the frightened boy felt bound to do the dishes. The following morning, however, he surprised his sister by telling her it was her turn. When she quietly reminded him of what she could do, he replied, “I’ve already told Mother, and she has forgiven me. Now you do the dishes. I’m free again!”

Isaiah 53:3 KJV 1900

He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Some never get to this point of forgiveness

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The apostles’ suffering

Emotional Suffering

2 Corinthians 11:28–29 KJV 1900

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

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Sadness

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Weeping and groaning

Jeremiah 9:1 KJV 1900

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

Joseph wept as he saw his brothers again:

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Covering the head and going barefoot were also signs of sorrow; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Peter wept bitterly after disowning Jesus Christ;

Anger

Jonah 4:1 KJV 1900

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

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Bitterness

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II God’s response to the emotional suffering of believers

He comforts them

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 KJV 1900

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms,”

Gods response

He has Delivered them through Jesus Christ

He has delivered them through Jesus Christ

Isaiah 53:4 KJV 1900

Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

Deliverance is defined as “a rescue from bondage or danger.” Deliverance in the Bible is the acts of God whereby He rescues His people from peril

He offers deliverance from mankind’s greatest peril—sin, evil, death and judgment. By God’s power, believers are delivered from this present evil age () and from the power of Satan’s reign (). All aspects of deliverance are available only through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who was Himself delivered up for us () so that we would be delivered from eternal punishment for sin. Only Jesus rescues us from the “wrath to come” ().

John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station. 

Gods response

Jesus Christ gives them rest

John 14:1 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Rest is not the absence of conflict but the knowledge of who is in charge

Revelation 21:4 KJV 1900

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

III The proper response of believers to emotional suffering

john 16.

John 16:32–33 KJV 1900

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

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Peace

Controlled emotion before God

PASSIVE RESPONSES So what might a right response to emotional suffering look like?

Passive responses have to do with humbly affirming God’s character (sovereignty, goodness, wisdom, etc.) and trusting him and his plan for your life.

Passive responses have to do with humbly affirming God’s character (sovereignty, goodness, wisdom, etc.) and trusting him and his plan for your life.

Romans 2:28 KJV 1900

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Romans 8:28 KJV 1900

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Peter 1:7 KJV 1900

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1

When you mediate upon God’s character, cultivate patience, and joyfully submit to the will of God while emotional suffering, your desire will often translate into actual outward expressions that complete your God-glorifying response.

Passive responses have to do with humbly affirming God’s character (sovereignty, goodness, wisdom, etc.) and trusting him and his plan for your life. This response is not signified by much outward change in your behavior. Rather, it usually expresses itself in a quiet disposition, thoughtful meditation, enduring suffering with patience, and humble submission to the King of kings and the Lord of lords—who also happens to be our heavenly Father who loves us through his Son, Jesus.

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When you mediate upon God’s character, cultivate patience, and joyfully submit to the will of God while emotional suffering, your desire will often translate into actual outward expressions that complete your God-glorifying response.

Prayer

when you mediate upon God’s character, cultivate patience, and joyfully submit to the will of God while suffering, your desire will often translate into actual outward expressions that complete your God-glorifying response. So what are some of these outward, active responses?

So what are some of these outward, active responses?

Hebrews 5:7 KJV 1900

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

ACTIVE RESPONSES Some of these active responses might include:

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Some of these active responses might include:

Some of these active responses might include:

Continuing to do what is right

(1) Communing with God by reading and meditating upon his Word

 (2) Individual and corporate prayer

(3) Resting in the assurance of his promises through the Lord’s Supper

(4) Repenting of any particular sin that has become evident during your trial 

(5) Serving others as a follower of the Suffering Servant

(6) Active in your church through corporate worship, small groups, or discipleship

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What am I asking you to know?

Rather than sulking in endless misery, we are called to actively improve our emotional sufferings for profitable gain. Afflictions are made profitable to us when we draw near to God in them.

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