I woke up one morning with a weird word on my mind: "barometer."
Although I've heard the word in weather reports, I didn't know what it meant. I felt the Spirit compelling me to look up the meaning.
What I learned can be a great help to those who experience emotional storms often - overwhelmed with depression, anger, anxiety, or any other negative emotion.
A barometer measures pressure in the atmosphere.
When the atmospheric pressure is high in your area, that means fair weather because the atmosphere can resist stormy weather patterns that are trying to come into your area.
But when the atmospheric pressure is low, that means storms can come in to your area because storms take the path of least resistance.
Keeping Emotional Storms Out
The Spirit revealed this truth to me: The only way to overcome emotional storms is to keep the atmospheric pressure inside of yourself high by being full of the Spirit.
That way, when pressures are high in your external circumstances, you will be able to overcome them because they can't get inside you.
After all, you are already filled!
You are a new creation in Christ and Jesus lives out His life through you through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Here is a picture of your new character, found in Colossians 3:12-17:
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Feelings: Your Internal Barometer
From now on, think of your feelings as a barometer.
When you are full of the Spirit, you are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Galatians 5:22-23 describes this Spiritual fruit, which Jesus said glorifies God.
But when you are spiritually low, you are habitually worried, troubled, fearful, doubtful, depressed, jealous, prone to anger, selfish, envious, and lack self control.
Galatians 5:19-21 warns us against these works of the flesh because those who practice such things will not inherit God's kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!
When you feel this way, check your body. When you experience negative emotions, you will feel tension in your body. The enemy will often use this tension to move you to practicing addictive habits.
It's like a puppet on a string! So when you feel tense, consciously relax your body to release that tension.
The more relaxed you are, the harder you make it for the enemy to pull on you!
Retreating to the Father, praying, meditating on His word, and speaking it to yourself throughout the day keeps the spiritual pressure inside yourself high so that you can resist emotional storms.
Spiritual disciplines also inspire you to praise and worship Him.
When praise and worship fills your heart, then you will know that your Spiritual atmospheric pressure is high enough to overcome any storms that come your way.
I hope you start practicing this principle every day. As you stay filled with the Spirit and are led by the Spirit, you will live a victorious life.
You will also draw others to Jesus because they will see the difference in you and want the peace that you have!