I learned a lesson many years ago that you can live your life with your emotions controlling you or God's Spirit controlling you. This topic can be very complicated and I could go in depth but I'm going to make this very simple. Today you can choose to get a journal and write down the things that trigger you (your bruises). Then, start reading your Bible and highlight the things that God says to you. Find scriptures that fight those triggers and write them down. They will be the balm that will heal those bruises. They will be the Sword of the Spirit that is part of the armor of God you should be putting on every day (Ephesians 6:13-17). People or Satan will not be able to send you into an emotional frenzy anymore as you grow in this practice.
Allow God's Word to heal those sensitive and wounded parts inside of you, and unsheath God's Word rather than verbalizing your emotions. Day by day you will see yourself maturing in your faith and standing with a posture of a warrior of God rather than a victim. Anger and pity are characteristics that children have. That's why they have tantrums. Our goal should be to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). In 1st Corinthians 13:11 it says, "When I was a child I spoke like a child, I thought like a child and I reasoned like a child. When I became a grown up I put away childish ways." The more we avoid maturing the longer we and those around us suffer. It's best to jump in with both feet and just start.
I know that is easy to say but hard to do. It took me years to mature but I will tell you what finally gave me the courage. We need to know two things for sure before we can trust God. The first is how unconditional, magnificent and precious his love is toward us. And second, we have to get rid of our distorted images of God. Find books on these topics. Google scriptures about God's love and write them down in your journal. Do whatever you have to do to keep growing because there is nothing worse than becoming stagnant and apathetic. Whining, having pity parties, lashing out at people, being hypersensitive, angry, combative.. Oh, how I could go on and on and rally behind you regarding this topic! But let's just start with you getting some paper or journal, a pen and some highlighters, post-it notes, your Bible (any Bible will do but I really like the, Life Application Study Bible.) You can find a special place in your house where you can set up or you can put it in a tote bag and take it with you to the park or to a coffee shop, do it by yourself or find a friend to do it with.. I personally like sitting in my bed. I also like to set a timer because you will realize that whether you set it for 5, 15 or 30 minutes it will never end up being enough time. The timer will go off and you will feel like you don't want to stop yet. Once you begin to see how God speaks back to you during your times of study you will want to return to it with enthusiasm.
So let's get these bruises healed so that we can go out there in the world and instead of being hypersensitive and reactive we can do what we were created to do which is to share the good news and reflect the love of God!
Let's be actors for Christ and not reactors to this world.
