Manage Your Emotional Energy
YOLO Part 4
Luke 5:12-16
We are currently going through the message series: YOLO.
“You only live once.”
It is true that we only live once.
However, what does this imply?
We only live once, therefore, we must live our one and only life meaningfully.
In order to do that, three weeks ago, we thought about having a clear mission in life.
Two weeks ago, we thought about using our time wisely.
Last week, we thought about seizing the moment.
And today we will talk about managing our emotional energy.
Expressions of love have a powerful effect on people.
Acts of love have a powerful effect on us and others around us.
But the problem is we do not love and care for others often enough.
When we see people on the street, who are begging, we walk by or drive by.
When we see people on TV, who are in need, we turn the channel.
Of course, we love our spouse, children, parents, and close friends.
We may also love our co-workers, neighbors, and church members.
But I want you to ask this question honestly to yourself: Out of over 7 billion people in the world, how many of them do you really love?
10?
20?
30?
40?
50?
100?
If you are not sure, there is measurement that you can use.
That is… check how many people do you pray for?
It is because if you love and care for someone, then you will pray for them.
When we think in these terms, many of us have to admit that our love is extremely limited.
But why is that?
It is not because we do not want to love others.
The truth is… many of us feel frustrated and guilty because our love toward others is limited.
So, what is going on?
Obviously, there are many possible explanations for the limited love that we have.
However, the one that I want to focus on today is the one that has caused trouble in my life and in lives of many others whom I talked to.
It has to do with energy management.
More specifically, it has to do with emotional energy management.
Most of us are familiar with the importance of money management, time management, or relationship management.
But people do not talk about the importance of emotional energy management.
I learned this lesson the hard way.
I learned that mismanaging our emotional energy can cause our love to be limited.
Jesus knew this very well.
Even though Jesus was 100% God, He was also 100% man while He was here on earth.
Because of this, He had to manage His emotional energy as well as His physical energy.
This is what we can see in Luke 5.
The example of Jesus teaches us these three lessons concerning our emotional energy management.
I. We must be aware of where we are emotionally (vv. 12-15).
Verse 12 says this.
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
As the news of Jesus spread, many people, including many sick people, came to Jesus.
In this particular instance, a man with a leprosy came to Jesus.
During this time leprosy was the most dreaded disease.
This man was in a desperate situation; therefore, he came to Jesus and asked Jesus to heal him.
What did Jesus do?
Verse 13 says this.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Jesus was so compassionate that He touched this man.
During this time, it was unlawful to touch a person with leprosy.
However, in order to love him and heal him, Jesus touched the man.
Perhaps it had been years since someone touched him.
Then Jesus pronounced words of healing, “I am willing. Be clean!”
The result was an immediate cure.
Verse 14 says this.
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Jesus commanded the leper to be silent about healing, but to go to the priest and offer sacrifices.
Why?
Jesus did not say the reason very clearly.
However, verse 15 gives us a hint.
Verse 15 says this.
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
Jesus told the man to be silent about his healing, but it was not heeded.
And many more people came to Jesus to be healed of their sickness.
Jesus had no problem with healing sick people physically.
However, He became so busy healing people physically that He was running out of time and energy to do His main ministry, which was to heal people spiritually.
Every one of us has finite emotional energy in our tanks as we start each day.
During the course of each day, events unfold that either increase or decrease our emotional energy.
We have a very good sense that this is going on.
And it is displayed in some of the words that we use.
We hear some people saying:
“I am so pumped up.”
“I am all fired up.”
“I feel so excited.”
“I am overflowing.”
We also hear some people saying:
“I am wasted.”
“I am exhausted.”
“I am drained.”
“I am running on empty.”
We use these phrases to convey to ourselves and others the approximate level of our emotional energy in our tanks.
However, some of us have not taken time to play out the implications of what these emotional levels mean to our capacity to show kindness to other people.
It is impossible to build a bigger heart for others when we are living most of our lives in an emotionally depleted condition.
Emotionally wasted, exhausted, drained people are much more likely to be irritable than encouraging, critical than understanding, and accusatory than compassionate.
Because their emotional tanks are depleted, they cannot express their love, compassion, and kindness to others.
If it is not there to draw on, if the tank is empty, kindness does not get expressed.
We may have the best of intentions, but if energy is not there to draw on, compassion does not get expressed.
On the other hand, people, who manage their emotional energy, keep up their tanks reasonably full, can express love, kindness, patience, tenderness, and compassion to others.
Careful energy management enables us to build bigger hearts for others.
I used to not know where I was emotionally.
When I was at my previous church, I realized that my heart was getting smaller and smaller as I got busier and busier.
Even though I was reading the Bible, praying, and worshipping God regularly, my heart was gradually shrinking.
It was because my emotional tank was almost always bone dry.
I did not know this was happening.
But it was happening.
When I realized this, I had to make radical changes in my life.
What is your personal emotional gauge reading right now?
Empty?
Full?
Or somewhere in the middle?
We must be aware of where we are emotionally.
II. We must be aware of what drains us emotionally (v. 16).
Verse 16 says this.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
More and more people were coming to Jesus.
Jesus came to minister to people, however, doing ministry was draining.
It drained Him, not only physically, but also emotionally.
This is why Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to be alone.
Jesus the Savior of the world withdrew Himself from people, who came to hear Him and be healed.
The four gospel writers wrote ten times that Jesus withdrew Himself from the people, sometimes by Himself and other times with His disciples.
He was aware of what drained Him emotionally.
We must ask ourselves this question: What events, activities, responsibilities, or people cause rapid depletion of our emotional energy?
Once we identify what it is that causes rapid depletion of our emotional energy, then we can modify our lifestyle, work schedule, job description, living condition, relational involvement, or ministry.
Then we will not spend our whole lives in emotionally depleted condition, and end up with shrinking hearts.
Of course, we cannot just drop events, activities, responsibilities, or people that cause rapid depletion of emotional energy.
However, at least, we must be aware of what causes a rapid depletion of emotional energy.
Then and only then, can we manage our emotional energy levels.
Furthermore, what causes rapid depletion of emotional energy might be different for each person.
For example, some people feel energized when they are surround by many people.
Others feel drained when they are surrounded by many people.
It will be different for all of us.
Different things drain people differently and at different rates.
We must be aware of what drains us emotionally.
III. We must be aware of what replenishes us emotionally (v. 16).
Again verse 16 says this.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
What did Jesus do when He withdrew from people?
Jesus prayed to God the Father.
In the midst of His pressing duties, Jesus found it necessary to be quiet and pray.
Why?
It was to replenished Himself emotionally.
Jesus was a part of massive emotionally draining ministries all the time.
He traveled, taught, and healed people.
But whenever He felt that He was drained, He stopped and took time to replenish Himself emotionally.
He worked on the other side of the equation.
He went to a mountain, a desert, or a lakeside to spend time alone with God the Father.
Or sometimes, He went to the home of His disciples in the area and had fellowship with them in order to replenish Himself emotionally.
Jesus was keenly aware of what He needed to do, where He needed to go, and who He needed to be with in order to replenish Himself emotionally.
If Jesus had to regularly replenish Himself emotionally, we need to do the same all the more.
Therefore, we must ask ourselves: What events, activities, and people replenish our emotional energy?
Even though we may know what drains us emotionally, sometimes we cannot avoid those circumstances and people.
If you are having conflict in your marriage…
If you have a young child…
If your parent is having health issues…
If you are a CPA during tax season…
If you are a student preparing for final exams…
You might not be able to drop those events and people that are causing a massive drain on your emotional energy.
Therefore, we must work on the other side of the equation.
We must work on the replenishing side of the equation.
We must compensate the drain in our lives with those activities, event, and relationships that replenish us emotionally.
Some people feel guilty taking time to replenish themselves emotionally.
However, we are not being selfish or being unspiritual for figuring out how to keep your emotional tank full enough for us to have an ever-increasing love for others.
It is just the opposite.
If we do not keep our emotional energy level high enough, we cannot love others.
We must be aware of what replenishes us emotionally, and expose ourselves to it regularly.
Conclusion
There are many things that drain me emotionally.
I counsel people, who are going through some difficulties.
I talk to couples, who are having marriage problems.
I prepare for sermons and Bible studies.
I have to take care of my family.
I have to take care of my health.
Therefore, I have to do things that will replenish me emotionally.
I worship God privately and corporately.
I attend a small group.
I play basketball with old pastors on Monday mornings.
During the summer, I play golf.
I go on a family vacation every year.
I go to mission trips and train local pastors.
I attend seminars to develop my vision.
As the result, my heart is not getting smaller.
It is getting bigger.
We only live once.
In order to use our one and only life to make eternal differences, we must build bigger hearts for others.
Let people see that Evergreen Community has a bigger heart for others.
In order to do that, many of us need to make some changes in our lives.
