FIREPROOF YOUR EMOTIONS by Lillian Rhoades

“Take up the whole armor of God so that you may withstand…above all take the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts…” (Ephesians 6:13a, 16).

What great verses! We’ve all experienced “fiery darts” when unkind words, rejection, family feuds, and disappointing friends create a firestorm within us that often leave us emotionally scorched. Memories of those unpleasant experiences eventually make us overly protective of our feelings. After all, who wants to get “burned” again?

These negative experiences affect our outlook. Before long, our hopes and ambitions are as smoldering ashes. Withdrawal and depression often follow. Don’t settle for emotional burnout. As these verses in Ephesians 6 suggests, we can fireproof our emotions from the darts that assault them by “putting on” God’s armor.

I remember sharing these verses with a family member who had just about given up on ever overcoming perceived childhood rejection. “I’m perfectly willing to be a loner,” she said. “No one wants to be burned over and over again.”
Eventually, I told her what God whispered to me. “My armor is fireproof, and the shield of faith extinguishes every fiery dart that comes from the wicked one through people we love and trust.”
Beloved one, that message is also to you. It is not God’s plan for you to withdraw from life because of hurtful words or actions others have said or done to you. With the shield of faith, you can withstand, rather than withdraw. God has given you fire-resisting equipment to protect against every emotional attack that comes your way. Use it!

Lillian Rhoades lives in New York. Her passion for writing is exceeded by her love for God. In addition to her other published works, she is the author of: When Youth Fades - How to Celebrate Life after 60 Contact