Who Holds the Reins to Your Emotional Wagon?

When Calamity knocks on my door, I hand Anger the reins to my emotional wagon. My words gallop out of my mouth as if pulled by a herd of wild horses. It’s an unfortunate mess because I can’t take them back.

Our words can destroy or protect. Humiliate or edify. They can expose or conceal. Judge or show mercy. Our word choices can show hate or show love. They can introduce you to Deceit or seat you next to Truth. Choosing our words is as delicate as choosing our friends.

Our words are like a two-faced best frenemy. Whom and what we allow near us determines what our hearts savor and then produce when our world is shaken.

What Do Paul and David say?

Paul the Apostle reminds us, “Do not let unwholesome, foul, profane, worthless, vulgar words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing, not a curse, to those who hear you speak” (Ephesians 4:29 AMP). Our emotional wagons should never be left in the hands of Anger, but if this happens – what comes out of our mouths? Blessing or curse?

Like David, in Psalm 51:10 TLB “Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires.” I, too, wish to have a clean heart filled with clean thoughts and the right desires.

Paul says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.” (Philippians 4:8 VOICE) This is easier than you may think; be diligent in what you watch, what you read, and who you keep company with, and your heart remains clean. Our words spill out of our mouths from the overflow of our hearts.

Sit with Truth and wait out Calamity’s Visit

So, the next time Suffering stops for tea, Deceit captures our attention, or Betrayal winks at us, we can politely ask Anger to take a back seat in our emotional wagon. He has permission to feel, but we don’t have to hand him the reins. Instead, let’s invite Truth to ride shotgun, and together, we wait out Calamity’s visit.

**Are you like me and hand Anger the reins when Calamity visits? I’d love to hear from  you. Comment below and lets chat!