Check Your Feelings Right Now

"Jesus wept."(John 11:35)

He sat across me in a coffee shop. A number of times, he'd grit out the words "I'm okey." However I could sense he was a long way from "ok" and was simply repressing his feelings ("stuffing") as many men would do. Men often fear showing "weakness" by crying. But only several minutes after, feelings surged inside of him that tears began to flow like tides of the ocean.

Expressing feelings is a sign of personal growth and strength. It allows us to keep in touch with our thinking, feeling, and acting self. Such makes us free to respond to what is happening both inside and outside of us. Thus, when we repress our feelings, we short-circuit our personal healing and recovery.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).

I have watched men, women, and young people share their deepest feelings, not only in my recovery work but also in my own life. And more often than not, I can see myself and others feeling much better ... afterward.

We also need to share our feelings with God (not just with people). Usually, people cannot resolve our feelings. They can only receive our emotions and get beside us. But with God, He is more than able to help us, cleanse, and remove any emotional blockages in our life.

Are there any feelings you need to share with God and others?

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