Thank God we don’t operate only by what we feel. Though our emotions are essential elements of the whole man, thank God they don’t have the final say.
I know what I feel, but I also know what I know.
We should allow ourselves to feel but we must make decisions and act based on what we know.
In this world we have no shortage of information; so there isn’t anything we don’t know, which we can’t know, if we wanted to know.
It doesn't matter how silly the question is, you can get information. A few nights ago, I asked my husband, “How does pain medication know what hurts”. I was grappling with a bad congestion headache from the cold so I was desperate for the Tylenol Extra Strength (which was the only medication I had at hand) to ease the headache.
What do you know? You may quickly reply, “about what?” And I’ll say… about yourself.
Self-awareness is a “conscious knowledge of one's own character and feelings.” I am aware of how I feel, and because I am aware, the way I interact with and express those feelings is intentional.

When you feel afraid, anxious, tempted, excited, intrigued, cautious, ambivalent, perturbed, or any other of the host of emotions, can you identify it, do you know what you feel? Do you know why you feel what you feel?
I love to feel, sometimes I marinate in it, own it, and allow all the other offshoot feelings to get their moment of recognition. I have learnt that there is no use in berating yourself for having a particular feeling because God gave us emotions to teach us about ourselves, our values, desires, and our peeves.
If hearing about the abuse of young children causes you to get angry, it tells you that you have the heart to protect our young and vulnerable. If being passed over for an opportunity makes you feel sad, it’s an indicator that you value justice and meritocracy.
I am not a counsellor or therapist but I know enough to know that it is more than okay, it is even encouraged to feel every emotion in any given situation, as it always reveals something about yourself or the situation which can ultimately lead to self-development. I truly believe that we should not force ourselves to feel differently in the face of an overwhelming emotion. If you feel hurt and disappointed, why are you trying to reason away your feelings, possibly berating yourself for feeling the way you do? Your emotions are part of who you are, they tell you about you.
I want to be so clear that feelings (our emotions) are a significant part of who we are, and it’s one of the most exciting attributes of humankind. The same event that will make one person afraid, will fill another with excitement and anticipation.
In this week’s title “It’s What You Know”, I am merely reinforcing that emotions are good exploratory ground for self-awareness. However, to thrive and live a balanced and fulfilling life, we can’t be led only by the vicissitudes of emotions. What you decide and how you ultimately choose to act should be a consequence of what you know. To know yourself and to know what God, who created you, says about you.
Self-regulation is one by-product of emotions that is molded by wisdom. Wisdom is more than knowledge which is more than mere information.
Proverbs 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding”. The Lord’s word is our regulator, it redirects our emotion from the basal fleshly origin to indisputable truth.
In verse 3 of Psalm 42, the writer, clearly sad and in distress, says, “My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God? ... I pour out my soul within me”. Remember I said to feel every feeling, validate, and give credence to every emotion that pours from your soul. That is exactly what the psalmist did! Then, in an explosive convergence of feelings and wisdom in verse 5, he or she declares: “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance”.
Psalm 42 is an extraordinary interplay of emotion and wisdom, reminding us that we ought not to live in a stagnant pool of emotions, but to constantly seek truth through wisdom.
I know what I feel. I acknowledge and validate the outpouring from my soul. I also know what I know, from the One who knows best and it’s on His Wisdom I shall always rely.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5)
Love Ya!
Krystal Baynes-Hoseinee

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