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I thought I'd start this thread for anyone to contribute their wisdom on the topic, so please jump right on in!

I'm doing some studying right now on spiritual growth, and the topic I'm studying is how emotions influence our spiritual decisions. For example, it seems 99% of the sins we commit are influenced by some negative emotion. Like anger, for example. Or bitterness. Not to say anger in itself is bad, because there is such a thing as righteous anger, but somehow the redeemed nature doesn't always check these emotiions for validity. We just act on them.

However, there is a very good use for them in spiritual growth, because we can use them to find hidden areas that need sanctification.

John Bunyan had a good treatise on how to tell godly fear from an ungodly fear, for example. When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, we feel fear. But it's what we do with the fear that either leads us toward God or away from Him.

Godly responses: Seek out more of the influence even though it scares us and find ways to confront the sin. Ungodly responses: Avoid the thing that causes discomfort, be it a preacher, the word of God, etc., or else rationalize. This will inevitably force a change in doctrine to accomodate the sin. In the first type of fear, we accomodate fear and fight the sin until the fear goes away. In the second kind, we accomodate the sin and fight the fear.

AMEN.  I know sometimes I am so justified in my anger yet my anger is so intense it leads to me to other gray areas that can become stumbling blocks toward other sin.  I was reading about hindrances to effective prayer and one thing that stuck out to me was lack of abiding.  Lack of abiding in him is like trying to straddle the fence in that we want to turn to God when we need him but tend to forget about him at other times.  IT does not work because we can not grow without full knowledge of his presence at all times.

I have also begun daily repentance, not just when I sin obviously but even my thoughts are sinful and my desires sometimes.  That counts and God wants my confession so he is further strengthened within me.

"In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, b/c as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love."                   (I John 4:17-8)

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Chanelle, I can relate. For years I resisted putting a fish on my car. But recently, I just wanted to. So I bought one and put it on my car. The next day, a member of my family who has been trying to stir up division in my church gave me grief. Then I went to run errands and saw the neighbor who belittled my deceased father/best friend, slammed another neighbor of whom I'm fond, and belittled my profession. He saw me, too, and knowing I'm a CHristian, used one of his digits to send me an improper message. I drove to the main road, and someone screamed out of a parking lot and just missed plowing into my brand new car. I pass the intersection and slow to pull into a gas station. The car behind me blares its horn at me, without any apparent gaffe on my part. THAT'S IT!! I say. I turn and look at the person, my eyebrows knit together, and say, "WHAT!" (This, with my brand new fish on my car.) She looks at me, her mouth drops open and she breaks through her stunned expression to mouth the words to me: "Your passenger door is open."

Symphony, that's a great picture!

For example, it seems 99% of the sins we commit are influenced by some negative emotion

Yep, that's the way it seems to me.  I enjoy eating.  I've noticed lately, since I'm more aware of my eating habits, that when I feel "negatively" about something, I automatically start thinking about something to eat.

I say hold onto the chocolate, though. I absolutely love chocolate. And coffee! Mmmmm.  :)

Hmmm.  'Just heard the oldest woman, a ms. "Craig", I think, in the state of Illinois, passed away this last week--age 113.  The news report said she attributed her long life to "clean living, no alcohol, no tobacco, but chocolate okay."

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I Love to read the Word of God and eat pizza ;D

I say chocolate was her secret! Has anyone ever been seriously unhappy with a piece of chocolate in their mouth? I daresay, no. A nice, hot steaming mug o' java, and we're set. And Oreos are very good dipped in coffee, too.

Ambassador, Amen to the pizza Bible study. We actually used to have them Wedneday nights at a church I used to attend. I miss those.

My kind of Bible Study  ;D

Um...Hello.  I'm new here~!  ^_^  Tee hee.  I just wanted to comment about the anger issues which ties in to sin.  Because Sinning is so natural for Man *meaning Man and Woman*, I know that the book of Galatians heavily focuses on self-control of emotions.  Because anger is sometimes even justifiable, I believe Christ is trying to tell us to be calm, gentle, and always in self-control.  That's why people always say, "Think before you act."  In that sense, I feel that emotions are greatly tied into Sinning.  Sometimes when we're happy, we may not understand the feelings of others who are suffering.  Anger especially leads to bitterness or selfish acts.  In the end, the only way to steam down anger is to rethink the situation.  I could remember this one time when my pastor explained the meaning of patience and gentleness.  He told us that patience was "LONG-SUFFERING."  It didn't sound quite pleasant but it did relate to emotions.  Patience does stop one from exploding and being filled with rage/ anger.  Anger is the result of a suffering or pain, but with patience to cover it, we seem to suffer longer in silence.  Not that patience is not good or anything,  HAHA, but it's a calming force that prevents angry explosions.    ;D  My pastor also told me once that gentleness is confused with being feminine and soft.  The words that will probably never leave me is how he described gentleness as opposed to anger.  He told me that gentleness is strength, ultimate power under control.  Whereas anger is strength and power going all over the place like fireworks.  Haha.   Well, I hope my comments was helpful to you all.  ^_^  Thanks for reading...God Bless!

Cherry Blossom, that was a great observation. I like what you said about the word "long-suffering." Sometimes when we read or use words too often we forget to stop and think about what that means. I think, too, that suffering has the power to make us sympathetic in a way that we aren't when we're happy and everything is going well. And i think it is one of the best portals to love there is. And love breeds patience.

Hey, Whitehorse~!  Yea, I completely feel that one can learn more about patience when one truly understands what it means to love.  ^_^  To love is everything, an ultimate example for us to follow day by day~!  God Bless You~!  

Yes, I've had real problems with the fish sign(ichthuse?) on our cars.  I bought a used car from a local family, with one on the back.  I subsequently took it off.  I think I was in trouble for a while, with the family, from then on.  ("Oh, he must not be a Christian, then.")

I think it forces others to judge by outward appearances, and sets up a total different way, for others, of looking at things--like a "badge", or something.

Exactly. Christianity is in the heart and people need to see that. It's really sad when someone looks at a poor judgment call on the road and it reinforces in that person's head the notion that all Christians are hypocrites in that single, superficial glance. I'm sure there's been a time when everyone has gone over the speed limit a few miles an hour, or had a quick turnoff and the guy behind in that lane wasn't being ridiculously generous with letting you squeeze in, or some jokester speeds up every time you try to change lanes...so you view the turn signal as a statement of intent, not a request for permission, and well, you've got to exit in 25 yards. It happens. I still have the fish on my car and I'm a lot more conscious of how it comes off. But sometimes I still have reservations because I don't know if it really gives Christ the honor due Him to set people up to make such fast, superficial judgments about Him and His servants. Yet I keep the fish on because I'm proud of my Lord. But what's the answer? Start plastering the car with World Vision stickers and announcements of all our godly acts so others can make a more informed decision? Well then we'd have to announce all our shortcomings, too. I don't know. I guess every Christian has to decide what is right for himself.

Yes, those are some good points.  It's probably a 50/50 thing.

Still, tho.  If you're in two identical traffic accidents, one where the other driver has the fish, and the other where he doesn't, which one would you rather take your chances with, in working out the settlement, or in even speaking to each other?

Or, vice versa, if you're the one with the fish, and he sees it when he comes over to your car...?