“And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
Acts 16:22-26
In the above account, we find that Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison simply for doing good. Many of us would say it would be natural for them to be angry at this great injustice or be sad and depressed. That they would have a right to be upset. Yet, instead, they chose a better way. They chose to rejoice. They chose to think on good things and keep their mind stayed on Christ. They understood that our emotions are birthed not out of our circumstances, but out of our thought life. Negative emotions are a result of negative thoughts. Our positive emotions, are a result of God thoughts; keeping our minds washed with the word of God and stayed on Christ so that the fruits of the spirit can rise up in our hearts.
Many people are prone to act on or give into their emotions. They will make decisions based on their emotions, and will even at times embrace negative emotions as their own saying “My grief, my sadness” etc. However, in reality our emotions are a direct result of our thought life. The battle is in the mind. Most people think it’s the circumstances that make them happy or sad. However, we can clearly see here in this account, that does not have to be the case. We can choose to rejoice in the midst of a difficult situation. Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice.”
As a result of Paul and Silas making the choice to rejoice, and not allowing negative thoughts to bring them into negative emotions, God was able to do a miracle. Not only did God turn what the enemy meant for evil for their good, but it blessed all those around them. Many believe that the Philippian’s church was birthed out of this prison. That the prison guard and many of the inmates were the first believers in this church. Many were saved because Paul and Silas chose to rejoice instead of being angry and sad.
At times you will hear that there is a place for “righteous anger”. However, this is dangerous for the believer to partake in. People will get angry at political parties or figures, or groups of people and claim it is righteous anger. However, true righteous anger is not getting angry with people, but instead getting angry with the devil and his works. When the devil tries to put sickness or disease on us, and a righteous anger rises up in us to stand against the attack and enforce our covenant rights of divine health as a believer, this is true righteous anger. We must be careful to never fall into the trap of the devil. When injustice was done to Stephen, to Jesus, and many others, their response was to say “Forgive them, they know not what they do.” Jesus says we are to pray for our enemies, to bless and not curse.
Do not let your emotions control you. Put your emotions in check. Always choose to love and forgive, to rejoice and be thankful, no matter what situation you are in. If you resist the devil, he will surely flee from you. Therefore, if you are feeling sad, angry or depressed, resist the devil by continuing to speak life, speak the Word only, confess the joy of the Lord is your strength, or 1 Corinthians 13 over yourself. Use the Word as your weapon against these negative emotions. As you do, the emotions will begin to line up with the word of God and you will be free to rejoice and to love with the God kind of love!
Psalm 37:7-9
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoesrs shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”
Galatians 5:19-23
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:16-18
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
Nehemiah 8:10
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Mathew 5:44-48
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Further reading: 1 Corinthians 13
