A Nugget from New Life Network
(excerpts from Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (March 26,2018)
Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
Depression, jealousy, and emotional outbursts have often been considered the result of frustration and stress in life. However, recently I have noticed people who have used depression, jealousy, and emotional outbursts as a form of control and manipulation.
It may seem difficult to believe that a depressed person isn’t really depressed, or that a jealous person isn’t really jealous, or that an emotional outburst is not fueled by anger. Yet many times this is true.
As Christians, we must never attempt to control people (or be controlled by people) through manipulation. Control and manipulation are rebellion against God’s plan for someone else or for ourselves. A person who relentlessly attempts to control another usually becomes so focused on the control that his or her mind cannot be changed. This is a type of stubbornness and witchcraft.
According to the Bible, rebellion and stubbornness are not of God: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).We must break the spirit of control in our lives and over our lives. Galatians 5:22 tells us that a part of the fruit of the spirit is self-control. Yes, we must take control of our own lives and not allow sin to enter. We must pray for and do good to others. We must love them and not think of ourselves as higher than them. However, we must never try to bring someone closer to God or closer to the way we think they should be by way of control or let someone else do the same to us. Depression, jealousy, and emotional outbursts are all based in fear. Any time fear is used to restructure a situation, it’s wrong.
God never uses fear as a motivation. God motivates through love. Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Love changes lives. Love reveals God’s true nature and love is what will bring people into a right understanding of where they should be.
So, the next time you catch yourself trying to manipulate someone through your emotions, stop it. Think about what you are doing and start operating in love instead of fear. Anything that you do that is associated with fear has its roots in the devil. It works the same way in reverse when someone is trying to control you. Don’t allow it!
Remember this – God has not given you a spirit of fear, “but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
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. (Galatians 5:19-21)
