3 steps to NOT Walk on Eggshells

The David Alliance [email protected] Garth Heckman   1 Samuel 18:10-11 (Uncontrolled Rage): Saul’s jealousy quickly escalated into murderous anger. While David was playing the lyre to soothe him, Saul was overcome by an evil spirit and his own rage, throwing his spear at David twice in an attempt to pin him to the wall.   Emotional volatility becomes a discipleship excuse instead of a growth area.  "I just felt led" or  "I couldn't help how I reacted"  “We are in Love”.  “She started it”. “It was Tuesday”    The flesh wether in a high or a low is meant to be cultivated by the fruits of the Spirit!    I love what Socrates said “any virtue in and of itself is a danger, it must be balanced with another virtue. i.e. if you are generous but do not balance that with wisdom, you will give all your money away and your family will starve. This is what the fruits of the Spirit do for us when in the midst of great emotion.     (Galatians 5:22-23) — Living by emotion trains a man to treat every strong feeling as a legitimate directive rather than something to bring under Christ's authority (2 Corinthians 10:5).     1 Samuel 22:7-8 (Paranoia and Self-Pity): Gripped by paranoia, Saul accused his own servants of conspiring against him. His emotional outburst was steeped in self-pity as he complained, "Is there no one of you who is sorry for me?"—a delusion that directly led to the slaughter of the priests of Nob.   It destabilizes relationships and leadership. A man who leads his home, church, or business based on how he feels that day becomes unpredictable — and unpredictability erodes trust. Proverbs repeatedly contrasts the "fool" who is ruled by impulse with the wise man who exercises restraint (Proverbs 14:29, 29:11).     What if someone outshines you?    **Here is an example… what if you get asked to leave your church and then it explodes with growth and miracles?        The flesh - what?  The Spirit - Great!  You will respond according to which one you have trained the most under the leading of the Holy Spirit!          Emotions are NOT bad or that Christians should suppress them.  Jesus wept, felt righteous anger, questioned authority, expressed anguish.    ****The danger isn't having emotions — it's letting emotion replace truth as the authority governing belief and action. The healthy target is emotions submitted to and informed by truth, not emotions eliminated or truth stripped of feeling.     Saul’s ultimate downfall was not a lack of talent or opportunity; it was a fundamental flaw in his internal compass. Saul lived a life governed by feelings rather than character. Character does what is right regardless of how it feels, whereas emotion demands immediate gratification and acts on impulse. When pressure mounted, Saul allowed fear, impatience, jealousy, and pride to dictate his choices.       To build a life of character rather than emotion:     Surrender your impulses to God’s Word: Do what God says even when your feelings resist.   Value obedience over appearance: Do not let the fear of what others think pull you into partial obedience.   Anchor your heart in trial: When panic, jealousy, or insecurity arise, name the emotion, but let God’s truth guide your next step.       A well-known psychological metaphor (popularized by Dr. Steven Hayes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) describes appeasing internal pain or anxiety: "If you feed a pet tiger meat to keep it quiet, it only grows larger and