Flighty Affection

A few days ago I heard a speaker discussing emotions.  Love is obviously an emotion and a very important one at that.  So if we want to learn to love ourselves then we need to learn to control our emotions.  The speaker said that if we want to learn to control our emotions we first need to learn to control our thoughts, because all emotions come from thoughts.  This was pretty profound in my world.  Let me share the example he used.

He explained that the engine of a plane is held on by four bolts.  Four bolts!  That's it!  My husband, who works on the C17 (second largest cargo plane in the Air Force) confirmed this fact.  Knowing this, it would seem likely if not probable that the engine would just fall out the bottom of the plane.  I don't know how the plane is structured, it may be physically improbable, but lets say for example's sake that this is what you believed.  This thought could cause fear.  The fear would grow every time you thought of flying and that plane plummeting to the ground engine-less.  Ridiculous?  Maybe.  But the reality is that this fear started with a mere thought.  A belief that grew into a reality.  Every emotion begins that way. If we can be intentional about our thoughts, we can be intentional about our emotions.  

If I want to love myself I need to start with my thoughts.  I need to think good of myself in order to love myself.  That is an absolute fact.  You cannot love yourself and think bad of yourself constantly.  Your belief will be undermined by your thoughts.  It is a daily process of consistent effort.  It is worth it, but it is not easy.

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7