How I Learned to Deal With Painful Emotions and Feelings -- LET GOD KEEP LOVING ME!

For a long time, when I got anger or bitter about someone, when I felt that someone had wronged me, I would respond in the following ways:

1. I would relive the event, saying and doing all the things that I should have, would have, coul dhave done.

2. I would go to God and say "Please take care of this. Make this right!"--the issue with this move was that I believed that I could only have peace when the wrong was made right.

3. I got so worried, so afraid, that those feelings were going to ruin my day. That issue of "resentment" was so strong, and it caused me so much strain--and all of that was due to the lies of AA.

AA teaches that "we must be free from anger." The argument from goes that anger leads to hate, and then people will go on a drinking binge all over again because of the sore emotions.

"If we we re to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison." (pg. 87)

The fact is that we should not fear any upset rising up inside of any of us. This idea that "alcoholics" are somehow a substandard of person because of their struggle with alcohol--that just sickens me. Disgusting. By the way, there is nothing wrong with being angry.

When someone wrongs you, it's OK to be angry! You should get angry!

The truth is that the  more that we try to get rid of bad feelings in our minds, the more entrenched they become, too.

If you do not believe me, look no further than Romans 7, and the struggle of a believer who wants to be set free from bad habits, thoughts, etc. (Thank you, Jesus, for bringing the Apostle Paul forward to minister Your Word!)

Looking back, what was going on during that time was that I feareted that I could not do other things. I was so consumed with getting rid of these bad feelings, that I got upset and fearful about taking care of other matters.

Since I learned that Jesus loves me, that God is my Daddy, even when I have strong sexual desires in my flesh or running through my mind, I also realized that God for me is flowing in, around, and through me, as well.

I used to think that I had to "keep myself" filled with love in order to be effective and at work in the world. That's crazy, but that's the kind of crazy that I believed. I still remember teaching my last class in a public school setting, and I used to battle within myself if I was focused on God's love enough.

He is loving me actively, agressively, passionately regardless of how I am feeling!

I don't have to "get rid" of bad emotions. I just allow God to KEEP LOVING ME!