Believe it or not, we are emotional beings. We laugh, we cry, we get angry, we love, we hate, we get scared – we feel. Emotions are a very powerful force of will in us human beings. And as chances may have it, we have something we call Emotional Tanks – which we need to keep a keen eye on.
This entry has been inspired by the book Fit to Be Tied by Bill and Lynne Hybels and my talk last night with my wonderful girlfriend.
Running on Emotional Fuel
Just like how you’ll get in trouble when the fuel of your car runs empty, so is it when your emotional tank runs dry. Unfortunately, unlike how the fuel tank of your car is right in front of your eyes, your emotional tanks are not directly visible. And unlike fuel, you don’t fill up your emotional tanks with diesel or gas – you fill it up with relationships.
Separate spaces
Your emotional tank has separate spaces. There are specific allotments to specific kinds of relationships. For example, I love my girlfriend and I have a specific space just for her. In fact, that space that I allotted for her is big because our relationship is a big part of my life.
In the same way, I have a space allotted for God, family, work, friends, ministry, self-development, etcetera. It is something that you don’t consciously do but it’s there. What you need to be mindful of is how much space you’re giving to the relationships in your life right now.
Are you giving more to your friends than to your family? Are you giving more space to your relationship with the opposite sex than your relationship with God? Knowing which takes up the most space in your emotional tank is critical to you as an emotional being.
Crashing
I had committed the mistake of allotting more space with my girlfriend than to God one time. I realize that this is dangerous – why? Because when my relationship with my girlfriend turns bad, even just for a day, I crash. My emotional tank runs dry and I need a quick fix to get back up.
Dangerous fixes
Quick fixes are injections of emotional stimulations that will get you ‘feeling good’ for a temporal duration. Usually these come in the form of vices like: smoking, drugs, computer games, sexual affairs, pornography, masturbation, drinking, etcetera.
The point of a quick fix is to feel good as soon as possible – usually without regard for the consequences. The dangerous thing about being in the ‘quick fix level’ is that you are willing to settle for ANYTHING just to boost your emotional tank from empty.
This is when people would do stuff that they would not normally consider. This is when rationality, reasoning and logic is shrinked to the point that it is shrugged off.
The Best Emotional Fuel
Is no other than your relationship with God. Why? Because He is always there – always available to fill you up, always the same, always FULL. Having an emotional tank that is reliant on human relationship is unstable. People are not always full. Sometimes they cannot fill your emotional tank – in fact, sometimes they drain it out.
You have to allot the most space to the best emotional fuel there is. That is what is going to make you an emotionally stable, emotionally wise person. It’s what’s going to keep you going. It’s what’s going to keep you from crashing and looking for quick fixes.
Building a relationship with a person is all about communication. So communicate with God. Read His Word and pray to Him everyday.
Keep your emotional tank full. Make sure you give the biggest space to God.
