Yesterday I started reading an article about emotional intelligence. I should prob buy a book on that topic. EI is understanding how your emotions lead to bad habits. If I treat others poorly, they treat me poorly, I feel bad, I get depressed, and temptation goes through the roof. Consider praying every hour this week:
“Father, help me to love others.”
EI is letting other people talk, have opinions, and have beliefs. EI is showing them respect. But… what if they are dead wrong? You can “gently” correct them. If they want to argue their misguided belief, change the subject. You will never convince them after the argument starts.
Remember, you are using EI for you. If you often fight and argue, moods get black, and temptation skyrockets.
Today consider writing 3 prayers about emotions that lead you back to darkness. Here are some:
“Father, help me to be the peacemaker.”
“Father, help me to understand, they had a bad day. They are more mad at the world than they are at me.”
“Father, help me to study verses every day about ____________. Fill in the blank with your top negative emotions like anger, fear, hate, and jealousy. Simply search Google “Verses anger” or whatever emotion plagues you.
Second, be aware that how you “feel” affects bad habits. If I am alone and turn on the TV I might feel frustrated. Does the Bible have an answer for that? Of course. I should pray fervently to be content. If I pray fervently, my joy comes from God, so as long as the TV can provide even the tiniest bit of entertainment, life gets good again.
What Bible trait can you dig into to offset your negative emotions? If you know it, pray it 10 times as much. It will help you keep temptation lower. If you don’t know what trait will help you, consider asking someone.
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