Emotional Intelligence: Part two

A study was done at Yale University a few years ago. The study was on how the students were feeling before graduating. Student after student came in to be surveyed, and each one walked out a little happier. When asked “How they were feeling”, hundreds of students said they were feeling stressed. Stress about job opportunities, stress over finishing college, stress over where they were going to live. The surveyor dug a little deeper into their “stress.” Come to find out that they weren't feeling stress at all. What they were been feeling this entire time was envy. Envy over fellow students getting an “A” without studying, securing job offers because of their parents’ connection, and so on. There were so many programs in the school that was directed towards stress, but none directed towards envy. The question begs to be asked, why not? Simply put, we don't know what we're feeling.

The book of Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” You see family, God is looking to transform us, not only spiritually and physically, but God is also looking to transform us emotionally. This is something we take for granted each and every day. We have feelings toward God, toward our spouses, toward each other, and even toward our church, but God is looking to transform our entire perception of one another and himself. He is looking for us to express those feelings to Him, and to be vulnerable to the people we love. This week I'm going to be talking about how to express our feelings to God and one another and what that actually looks like practically.

Connected to the Vine.

Pastor Victor