Time to Pause

“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast…if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’” Genesis 4:2-8

Fewer things are more exhausting than waking up in the middle of the night with something on my mind and allowing it to consume me. There is no doubt that the enemy does his best work in the dark of the night. I can go to bed with something as small as an irritation or frustration and by the time I drift back asleep I have exalted it to an immovable mountain. It astonishes me how the mind can dictate our emotions if not submitted to God. Cain was filled with anger after God favored his brother Abel’s offering over his. God loved Cain so much that He initiated a conversation regarding his anger, and warned him to not let it rule over him. Cain had a choice at that very moment. Would he humble himself and ask God to help him do what was right or would he allow his anger to consume him? We don’t know how long Cain considered the words of God, but we do know the choice he made…to orchestrate and carry out the murder of his brother.

Emotions can be posers and liars but only if we give them access to our mind. God gave us our emotions but they come with a warning like every other blessing He has given us. We cannot give our emotions the license to dictate our actions. ‘We must always remember that we can acknowledge our feelings…but not be ruled by our feelings…I must get intentional when I go to bed every night…As the sun is going down, I pray that we remember it’s time to pause and let God tend to any strong or potentially damaging reactions to hurts that could consume us…Remember, our ability to forgive others rises and falls on whether we lean into what Jesus has already done for us.’ Seeing Beautiful Again, Lysa TerKeurst, p. 181-182.

On those nights, when my feelings begin to morph into anger I purposely begin praying for others. Through the spirit of prayer God settles any unresolved emotions and gives me rest. I am certainly far from perfect but taking captive those thoughts and replacing them with prayer is my best weapon against the enemy.