Emotions

Bible Study Guides – Emotions

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May 16 – 22, 2021

Key Text

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Study Help: Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 755–762; The Review and Herald, June 2, 1910.

Introduction

“If you feel yourself to be the greatest sinner, Christ is just what you need, the greatest Saviour.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 452.

Sunday

1 GOD SEES ALL

1.a. What seven things are especially offensive to God? Proverbs 6:16–19.

Note: “God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man’s judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give.” Steps to Christ, 30.

1.b. What is promised to those who confess their sins? Proverbs 14:16; 1 John 1:9.

Note: “No one is ever made better by denunciation and recrimination. To tell a tempted soul of his guilt in no way inspires him with a determination to do better. Point the erring, discouraged one to Him who is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him. Show him what he may become. Tell him that there is in him nothing that recommends him to God, but that Christ died for him that he might be accepted in the Beloved. Inspire him with hope, showing him that in Christ’s strength he can do better. Hold up before him the possibilities that are his. Point him to the heights to which he may attain. Help him to take hold upon the mercy of the Lord, to trust in His forgiving power. Jesus is waiting to clasp him by the hand, waiting to give him power to live a noble, virtuous life.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 453.

Monday

2 PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF EMOTIONS

2.a. Contrast the effects of emotions that tend to break down the life forces with those that build them up. Proverbs 17:22.

Note: “Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life-forces and to invite decay and death. … Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life.” The Ministry of Healing, 241.

“Sadness deadens the circulation in the blood vessels and nerves and also retards the action of the liver. It hinders the process of digestion and of nutrition, and has a tendency to dry up the marrow [interior substance] of the whole system.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 458.

 2.b. How are we encouraged to obtain peace? Isaiah 27:5; 26:3.

Note: “We are not to let the future, with its hard problems, its unsatisfying prospects, make our hearts faint, our knees tremble, our hands hang down. [Isaiah 27:5 quoted.] Those who surrender their lives to His guidance and to His service will never be placed in a position for which He has not made provision. Whatever our situation, if we are doers of His word, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.” The Ministry of Healing, 248, 249.

Tuesday

3 LIFE’S BURDENS

3.a.  What is the effect of anxiety on the mind? Proverbs 12:25. What is the recommended remedy? Philippians 4:6, 7.

Note: “We are in a world of suffering. Difficulty, trial, and sorrow await us all along the way to the heavenly home. But there are many who make life’s burdens doubly heavy by continually anticipating trouble. If they meet with adversity or disappointment, they think that everything is going to ruin, that theirs is the hardest lot of all, that they are surely coming to want. Thus they bring wretchedness upon themselves and cast a shadow upon all around them. Life itself becomes a burden to them. But it need not be thus. It will cost a determined effort to change the current of their thought. But the change can be made. Their happiness, both for this life and for the life to come, depends upon their fixing their minds upon cheerful things. Let them look away from the dark picture, which is imaginary, to the benefits which God has strewn in their pathway, and beyond these to the unseen and eternal.” The Ministry of Healing, 247, 248.

3.b. Compare and contrast the worst sources of comfort with the best ones. Job 16:2–4; Psalms 13:5, 6; 21:1; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.

Note: “Those who have borne the greatest sorrows are frequently the ones who carry the greatest comfort to others, bringing sunshine wherever they go. Such ones have been chastened and sweetened by their afflictions; they did not lose confidence in God when trouble assailed them, but clung closer to His protecting love. Such ones are a living proof of the tender care of God, who makes the darkness as well as the light, and chastens us for our good. Christ is the light of the world; in Him is no darkness. Precious light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining. Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 274.

Wednesday

4 HUMAN EXPERIENCE

4.a.  Discuss the human experience of separation from God and how Christ experienced this in our behalf in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44.

Note: “It was the anguish of separation from His Father’s favor that made Christ’s sufferings so acute. … His terrible anguish, caused by the thought that in this hour of need God had forsaken Him, portrays the anguish that the sinner will feel when, too late, he realizes that God’s Spirit is withdrawn from him.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 464, 465.

4.b. How can we obtain healing from the anxiety so often associated with physical illness? Psalms 33:18, 22; 34:17–22.

Note: “When wrongs have been righted, we may present the needs of the sick to the Lord in calm faith, as His Spirit may indicate. He knows each individual by name, and cares for each as if there were not another upon the earth for whom He gave His beloved Son. Because God’s love is so great and so unfailing, the sick should be encouraged to trust in Him and be cheerful. To be anxious about themselves tends to cause weakness and disease. If they will rise above depression and gloom, their prospect of recovery will be better.” The Ministry of Healing, 229.

Thursday

5 CONCERN OVER THE FUTURE

5.a. What is to be our view of the near and distant future? Matthew 6:25–33.

Note: “Though their present needs are supplied, many are unwilling to trust God for the future, and they are in constant anxiety lest poverty shall come upon them, and their children shall be left to suffer. Some are always anticipating evil or magnifying the difficulties that really exist, so that their eyes are blinded to the many blessings which demand their gratitude. The obstacles they encounter, instead of leading them to seek help from God, the only Source of strength, separate them from Him, because they awaken unrest and repining.

“Do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we be ungrateful and distrustful? Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our welfare; and our anxiety and fear grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We should not indulge in a solicitude that only frets and wears us, but does not help us to bear trials. No place should be given to that distrust of God which leads us to make a preparation against future want the chief pursuit of life, as though our happiness consisted in these earthly things.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 293, 294.

 5.b. What is the best preparation for tomorrow’s trials? Matthew 6:34.

Note: “The faithful discharge of today’s duties is the best preparation for tomorrow’s trials. Do not gather together all tomorrow’s liabilities and cares and add them to the burden of today.” The Ministry of Healing, 481.

“One day alone is ours, and during this day we are to live for God. For this one day we are to place in the hand of Christ, in solemn service, all our purposes and plans, casting all our care upon Him, for He careth for us.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 101.

“Let us not make ourselves miserable over tomorrow’s burdens. Bravely and cheerfully carry the burdens of today. Today’s trust and faith we must have. But we are not asked to live more than a day at a time. He who gives strength for today will give strength for tomorrow.” In Heavenly Places, 269.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    What things are especially offensive to God? What is the remedy?

2    How do negative feelings and emotions break down the life forces?

3    How is life made more difficult by the choices we make? Who are often the best ones to comfort others?

4    Discuss the common situations which trigger human anguish and how Christ experienced this in our behalf in Gethsemane. How are we to obtain relief from such anguish?

5    How ought we to view the future, and what is the best preparation for tomorrow?

Copyright 1995 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Restoring the Temple – The Nervous System

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The brain is a marvel that only God can ever fully understand. Our brain controls our emotions, sleep cycles, digestion, heart rate, breathing, and movement. Our brains are who we are and everything we will ever be. Only in being filled with the Holy Spirit would we ever transcend this. Our first parents’ brains were undoubtedly more complex and certainly more efficiently used than our own today. Someone once said: “The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” I know that many of us can relate to that, including myself. A popular myth is that we use only ten percent of our brains. This myth may be due to a misquote of Albert Einstein, but there is no scientific evidence that backs up this myth.

Of the vast information on the brain, one thing we do understand is that it controls all of our body’s functions as well as being the seat of the mind. This was not always known, however. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, believed that the heart, not the brain, was the location of thought and intelligence. The ancient Egyptians also did not have much respect for this organ as seen when making a mummy. The brain was removed and discarded, whereas the heart and other organs were carefully preserved.

The nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves. The main cell that makes up nervous tissue is the neuron. It is estimated that there are 100 billion neurons in the brain. To better understand this number, let us think of it in other terms. Neurons come in different sizes, but for the sake of this illustration we will say that they are ten microns wide. If you placed 100 billion neurons in a line, the line would be invisible but it would stretch to 100 km (62.14 miles).

The brain and spinal cord are bathed in a circulating fluid called the cerebrospinal fluid or CSF. CSF acts as a shock absorber as well as a diffusion medium for nutrients, special chemicals, and waste products. Blood vessels circulate blood through the brain, just as anywhere else in the body. Amazingly, however, chemicals dissolved in the blood do not have free access to the brain. Cells called endothelial cells line blood vessels in the brain and control the chemical exchange between the blood and the fluid surrounding brain cells. This is called a blood-brain barrier, isolating the central nervous system (CNS) from the general circulation. God knows how to protect the delicate but marvelously intricate processes of the CNS.

The function of the nervous system, in general, is to gather information, store data and control the body’s systems. The nervous system collects information about the conditions in relation to the body’s external state and analyzes this information. The information is then used to initiate appropriate responses. Simplistically, you put your hand on the burner of a stove, the brain determines “stove is hot—hot is bad!” Your hand is removed from the burner. All of this occurs much more quickly than you just read it. Information travels along nerves at speeds up to 120 meters/second or 268 mph.

The nervous system uses electrical impulses, which travel along the length of the neurons, as well as chemicals called neurotransmitters. The endocrine system has its own method of data transfer using hormones, but unlike the nervous system, it may take many hours to respond with hormones.

All intellectual functions are the major function of the cerebrum, which is the largest portion of the brain. Have you ever heard of a person who is brain dead? That means that they no longer have brain waves that translate into thought, but the physical control center, the brain stem, is still functioning enough to keep the body alive. Yet the higher functions of thought and emotion are closely interlinked with the physical functions. “The senses . . . are the avenues to the soul.” Healthful Living, 193

Like the rest of the body, the nervous system requires adherence to the laws of health to function optimally. Ellen White said, “The brain is the organ and instrument of the mind, and controls the whole body. In order for the other parts of the system to be healthy, the brain must be healthy. And in order for the brain to be healthy, the blood must be pure. If by correct habits of eating and drinking the blood is kept pure, the brain will be properly nourished.” Medical Ministry, 291. She also understood that there is a balance between physical exercise and mental exercise that must be maintained. We can all understand that we need to study to learn, but on the other side of the coin, “The exercise of the brain in study without corresponding physical exercise has a tendency to attract the blood to the brain, and the circulation of the blood through the system becomes unbalanced. The brain has too much blood and the extremities too little.” Healthful Living, 180.

Even when all of our nervous system’s hardware and software is working correctly, we do not always use it properly. In the nineteenth century, Ambrose Bierce said that the definition of a cabbage is “A familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man’s head.” This is too often true isn’t it? I would have to say that without the Lord’s guidance it is always true. David’s insight was that “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise [man] keepeth it in till afterwards.” Proverbs 29:11. A current saying puts it this way: “Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth.” Indeed!

Keys to the Storehouse – A Ruffled Collar

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Have you ever gotten your collar ruffled? Well, I must admit that I got my collar really ruffled not too long ago. The first place I ran to was to my corner—to my Comforter, the word of God. At this time, God directed me to Romans 8:18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

The word I specifically looked at was “sufferings.” Looking up the meaning I found that it perfectly described me at that moment. That word suffering also includes emotions, a stirring perturbation or excitement of mind. I really enjoyed that word perturbed which means

  • To disquiet thoroughly
  • To disturb greatly
  • To agitate

That exactly described me at that moment—very perturbed!

  • I was thoroughly disquieted
  • I was greatly disturbed
  • I was really agitated

In fact, I was really in a state of perturbation! And then, as I prayed, God heard, as stated in Psalm 91:15, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

As God put a smile on my face, I felt all of the perturbation melt away! It is so much easier to bear life’s troubles when we take everything to God in prayer, for these troubles are really His workmen—and it worked! Our God is so merciful—He truly unruffled my collar right then!

I read my verse again, only putting my new word into it, “For I reckon that the ‘perturbations’ of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory (character of God) which shall be revealed in us.”

God had again saved me from the devil’s ploys, or schemes, to destroy me spiritually, emotionally and physically:

  • spiritually, because I did not represent Christ’s Character but the devil’s at that moment and
  • emotionally and physically, because uncontrolled emotions destroy the immune system and cause all kinds of reactions physically, mentally and spiritually.

Remember, trouble makes this earth undesirable and this causes us to lift our hearts to God! This ruffling of my collar caused me to run to God and to sit in heavenly places with Him. And, in His presence, His Holy Spirit put a smile on my face and all of the stress of that moment faded away.

Jesus said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Prayer is the most appropriate thing to do in the times of trouble. Take everything to God in prayer. Go, talk to God!

 

Father: Thank You for drawing me into Your presence where truly I find fullness of joy. My ruffled collar melted under Your touch and I am so thankful that You protected me from the terrible results that would have happened had I hung onto that perturbation, which really was the attitude of the devil. Truly, in Your presence is fullness of joy! My time with You is always a blessing. Amen.