Binding those Emotions!

I am using a devotional this year called 365 Days to a Prayer-Filled Life.  I have to admit that the title does nothing for me.. in fact, I tend to avoid anything that says X number of days until.... but the author is Germaine Copeland.  I have several of her books and love them. They are full of Scripture based prayers and so is this devotional.

I read a line in today's prayer that just seemed to stop my world... "In Your name I bind my emotions to the control of the Holy Spirit and go forth with confidence."

Wow!  I just love that thought... the picture in my head of my emotions, which can run wild, being bound to the Holy Spirit's control.  Why do I even try to keep them in check? They are often the flesh at work in me.  How completely right to let the Holy Spirit control them.

This does not mean there will be no emotions. Not at all!  God created emotions and He made us emotional beings. What is does mean is appropriate emotions at appropriate times. And I am not talking about observing social graces or putting on a good face.

My hope is that this will keep me from yelling in the car that the driver that cuts me off or drives wayyyy tooo slow... that it will keep me from loosing my patience as I stand in line at the store while the person ahead of me tries to figure out how to use the self-checkout or the cashier feels the need to have a 20 minute gabfest with another customer... that it keep me from going into self-pity mode when I don't get my way -- things like that.

I pray this act of binding will enable me to bear fruit -- the fruit of the Spirit! -- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control,

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven."  

Matt. 18:18a

Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Gal. 5:22-25

Several years ago my kids and I studied the Fruit of the Spirit together... we took 1 virtue at a time and found verses on it and studied it... it was a great time. One thing God really wrote on my heart is how we will say "I have no patience with whatever"... that is a lie. I have patience if I have the Holy Spirit in me... I am just not choosing to let Him bear fruit in me. When we feel unkind or unloving or whatever we don't have to... the fruit is there, we just have to surrender and let the Spirit do His work in us.