You Can Successfully Fight Negative Feelings

1-2. How did the apostle Paul feel at times, and why might we relate to what he wrote about himself? (Romans 7:21-24)

WHAT comes to your mind when you think of the apostle Paul? Do you think of a courageous missionary, a skilled teacher, or a prolific Bible writer? Those descriptions are certainly accurate. Yet, Paul was also a man of deep emotions. Like many of us, he at times battled with negative feelings.

² Read Romans 7:21-24. In his letter to the Romans, Paul expressed feelings that many of us can relate to. Even though he was a faithful Christian, he had an inner struggle​—a battle between his earnest desire to do God’s will and his inclination to act on wrong desires. In addition to this inner conflict, Paul at times struggled with negative feelings about his past and about a persistent problem he was facing.

3. What will we consider in this article? (See also “Expression Explained.”)

³ Despite his inner struggle, Paul did not allow his negative feelingsa to dominate his thinking. In this article, we will consider the following questions: What caused Paul at times to feel “miserable”? How did he deal with negative feelings? And how can we successfully fight our own negative feelings?

WHAT CAUSED PAUL TO HAVE NEGATIVE FEELINGS

4. What caused Paul to have negative feelings?

⁴ Things that he did in the past. Before becoming a Christian, Paul, earlier known as Saul, did things that he would later regret. For example, he watched with approval as faithful Stephen was stoned to death. (Acts 7:58; 8:1) Also, Saul took the lead in viciously persecuting Christians.​—Acts 8:3; 26:9-11.

5. How was Paul affected by his past actions?

⁵ After he became a Christian, the apostle Paul was at times troubled by his past. His previous actions as a relentless persecutor of Christians may have bothered him even more as the years went by. For example, when he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in about 55 C.E., he said: “I am not worthy of being called an apostle, because I persecuted the congregation of God.” (1 Cor. 15:9) Some five years later, in his letter to the Ephesians, he described himself as being “less than the least of all holy ones.” (Eph. 3:8) When writing to Timothy, Paul referred to himself as being formerly “a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man.” (1 Tim. 1:13) Can you imagine how Paul must have felt when he visited a congregation and met those he had persecuted or the family members of those he had persecuted?

6. What else caused Paul much distress? (See also footnote.)

⁶ A thorn in the flesh. Paul compared something that was causing him much distress to “a thorn in the flesh.” (2 Cor. 12:7) The apostle did not mention the cause, but the word picture he used suggests something​—whether it was a physical problem, an emotional problem, or something else—​that pained him.b

7. How was Paul affected by his imperfections? (Romans 7:18, 19)

⁷ His imperfections. Paul struggled with his imperfections. (Read Romans 7:18, 19.) Although he wanted to do what was right, his imperfect flesh undermined his determination to do so. He admitted that there was a constant battle between his fleshly inclinations and the desire to do what is right. Yet, Paul worked very hard to improve. (1 Cor. 9:27) How frustrated he must have been whenever his bad traits resurfaced!

HOW PAUL DEALT WITH NEGATIVE FEELINGS

8. What do Paul’s letters indicate regarding how he dealt with his imperfections?

⁸ As indicated in his letters, Paul reflected on how he and his fellow believers could fight and overcome sinful tendencies with the help of God’s spirit. (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:16, 17) Paul often referred to undesirable traits and desires that Christians should combat. (Gal. 5:19-21, 26) No doubt Paul meditated on his own weaknesses, sought counsel in the Scriptures, and identified specific steps to deal with his imperfections. We can be sure that he applied the advice he gave to others.

9-10. What helped Paul to fight negative emotions? (Ephesians 1:7) (See also picture.)

⁹ Although Paul sometimes felt discouraged, he was able to remain positive. For example, he enjoyed receiving good reports from his traveling companions. (2 Cor. 7:6, 7) He found joy in his friendships with fellow believers. (2 Tim. 1:4) And he knew that he had Jehovah’s approval. Yes, Paul was happy because he could serve God “with a clean conscience.” (2 Tim. 1:3) Even when he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul urged his fellow believers to “rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4) His words hardly sound like those of someone overcome by negative thoughts. Clearly, when negative thinking came into his mind, Paul was able to work through it so that he could be positive again.

¹⁰ Paul was also able to fight negative emotions successfully because he believed that the ransom was a gift to him personally. (Gal. 2:20; read Ephesians 1:7.) As a result, he could confidently trust in Jehovah’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Rom. 7:24, 25) Despite his past errors and his imperfections, Paul was able to “render sacred service” to God with joy.​—Heb. 9:12-14.

11. Why is Paul’s example encouraging to us?

¹¹ Like Paul, we may feel that there is always a battle going on from within. It may be about what we think, what we do, or what we say. We too may feel like saying, ‘Miserable person that I am!’ A sister in her 20’s named Elizac says this about her personal struggle: “It is encouraging for me to think about Paul’s situation. I am relieved that I am not the only one who feels this way. It is another reminder that Jehovah knows what his people are going through.” What can we do so that, like Paul, we can have a clean conscience and rejoice despite having negative feelings?

HOW WE CAN FIGHT NEGATIVE FEELINGS

12. How does maintaining a good spiritual routine help us in our fight against negative feelings?

¹² Maintain a good spiritual routine. When we develop a good spiritual routine, we are better able to focus on the positive. We can compare such a routine to maintaining healthy habits that contribute to our overall physical well-being. When we eat well, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep, we usually feel better. Similarly, we all have experienced how good we feel when we read God’s Word regularly; prepare for, attend, and participate in our meetings; and engage in the ministry. Such upbuilding activities help us deal with our negative thoughts.​—Rom. 12:11, 12.

13-14. How have some faithful Christians benefited from a good spiritual routine?

¹³ Consider the example of John, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at age 39. At first, he struggled with negative feelings. ‘How could I get sick at such a young age?’ he wondered. At the time, his son was just three years old. What helped John deal with his negative emotions? “Despite my fatigue, I made sure that our family maintained a regular spiritual routine,” he says. “We attended all the meetings, had a weekly share in the ministry, and had regular family worship even when it was difficult to schedule it.” Looking back, John adds: “After the initial shock wears off, the nagging thoughts will be replaced by Jehovah’s strength and love. Jehovah can make you strong, just as he has made me.”

¹⁴ Eliza, quoted earlier, states: “Every time I attend Christian meetings and do my personal study, I am reminded that Jehovah hears me and really loves me. That makes me happy.” Nolan, a circuit overseer in Africa, speaks for himself and his wife, Diane, when he says: “We stick to our spiritual routine even when we feel discouraged. Jehovah always makes it clear that he is helping us to have the right attitude. We try to remember that Jehovah will help us and bless us; we do not know how, but we know that he will.”

15. What may we need to do to overcome negative thoughts? Illustrate.

¹⁵ We may need to do more than just follow the basics if we are to overcome negative thoughts. To illustrate, imagine that you have developed back pain. To get rid of it, you may have to do more than just walk every day. To identify the cause of the pain, you may need to do research and even talk to a doctor. Similarly, we may need to do research in the Bible and in our publications and even talk to a mature Christian to learn how to deal with recurring negative feelings. Consider some further suggestions that can help.

16. What can help you to identify the cause of your negative thoughts? (Psalm 139:1-4, 23, 24)

¹⁶ Prayerfully analyze your personal needs. King David was aware that Jehovah knew him well. So David asked Jehovah to help him identify the cause of his “anxious thoughts.” (Read Psalm 139:1-4, 23, 24.) You too can ask Jehovah to help you identify the cause of your negative thoughts and understand how to overcome them. You might also ask yourself such questions as: ‘What seems to be the root cause of my anxious thoughts? Is there something that triggers my negative thinking? Do I tend to dwell on the negative thought rather than dismiss it?’

17. What topics for personal study can help you to focus your mind on upbuilding thoughts? (See also picture.)

¹⁷ Adapt your personal Bible study to your needs. From time to time, you may find it beneficial to study some aspects of Jehovah’s personality. For example, the apostle Paul greatly benefited from reflecting on the ransom and on Jehovah’s forgiveness. You can do the same. Use the Research Guide for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Watch Tower Publications Index, or other Bible study aids available in your language to explore such topics as God’s mercy, forgiveness, and loyal love. Once you have found articles that would benefit you, make a list of them. Post the list where you can see it, and study the articles from your list when you start to feel down. Try to apply what you read to your own circumstances.​—Phil. 4:8.

18. What kind of study projects have some Christians found helpful?

¹⁸ Eliza, quoted earlier, did a personal study project on the Bible character Job. She says: “I relate a lot to Job. He had one trial after another. Yet, when Job was at his lowest point, he never stopped looking to Jehovah​—even though he did not know why his problems were happening.” (Job 42:1-6) Diane, mentioned earlier, says: “My husband and I are doing a study project using the book Draw Close to Jehovah. We appreciate that Jehovah molds us as a potter does clay. Instead of focusing on how disappointed we are in ourselves, we try to imagine Jehovah molding us and trying to make us better people. This brings us closer to him.”​—Isa. 64:8.

LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE

19. What can we realistically expect?

¹⁹ Even if we have a good spiritual routine and a good study program tailored to our needs, we cannot expect negative thoughts and feelings to disappear completely. We may still have days when we feel miserable! However, with Jehovah’s help, we can lessen negative feelings when they arise. We can be confident that on most days we will enjoy a clean conscience and have every reason to rejoice in our life and in our service to Jehovah.

20. What are you determined to do?

²⁰ Let us be determined not to be controlled by negative feelings about our past, our troubles, or our imperfections. With Jehovah’s help, we can keep negative feelings in check. (Ps. 143:10) We can look forward to the day when positive thinking will no longer be a struggle. Rather, we will be able to wake up each morning without having any anxious thoughts, happy to serve our loving God, Jehovah!