Encourage

 

The following verse is a great reminder that a little encouragement goes a long way. 

 

“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 (https://www.biblestudytools.com/ecclesiastes/passage/?q=ecclesiastes+4:9-12)

 

This time of year brings added stress to officials, coaches, players, administrators and fans. Teams are fighting for the postseason and coaches are fighting for jobs. Officials are balancing end-of-year work responsibilities while working towards finishing the year strong as a crew. Also, at this time of the year, we experience an increase in family interactions which brings its own set of challenges. In the middle of stress, how do we encourage?

 

At some point, each of us has been on the receiving end of encouragement. Encouragement takes many forms--a few cheerful words, a short uplifting note, or maybe just the steadying comfort of someone’s presence. How do you feel when you receive these gifts of encouragement? Encouragement usually makes it easier to handle each day's pressure knowing you had someone else by our side. 

 

As we enter this week’s games, pressure continues to mount for teams to win and for officials to administer games appropriately. Embrace Mark Twain’s words…."[t]he best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." Let’s be the “two” in Ecclesiastes 4:9 where we are the ones others can count on to support them when they fall because we are an encourager.

 

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

Credit to Ryan Wingers

Emotions(less)

During the 1970s, psychologist Paul Eckman identified six basic emotions he suggested were universally experienced by all humans: (1) happiness, (2) sadness, (3) disgust, (4) fear, (5) surprise, and (6) anger. He later expanded his list of basic emotions to include pride, shame, embarrassment, and excitement. In 2017, another study of emotions suggested many more basic emotions than previously studied. In a study published in “Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences”, researchers identified 27 different categories of emotions.  Instead of being distinct, researchers found people often experience many emotions intertwined resulting in a wide variety of feelings and emotions.

Daily, emotions influence how we interact with others while impacting the decisions we make. By understanding and recognizing different types of emotions, we can gain better understanding of how our own emotions are expressed and the impact on our behavior. Recognizing emotions involves attending to what your body is doing (tightened muscles, stomach pain, sweats, sensory changes). Then, we can identify what the emotion is….sadness, anxiety, fear, depression, etc. Keep in mind that it is impossible to have an emotion without a thought first.  For example, if you are told to ‘feel angry,’ nothing would happen.  However, if you were asked to think back to a time when a person cut you off in traffic, that likely would produce a feeling of anger!  Identifying our thoughts is the best way to understand the emotions that follow.

 

As officials, we are surrounded by various emotions, including our own.  Coaches, players, administrators and fans all bring a wide range of emotions--excitement, anger, sadness, and happiness to name a few. Officials also experience a range of emotions from excitement to nervousness to anger. However, as officials, we are called to control our emotions and to limit the outward appearance of them. So, in a stadium filled with emotions, how do we control our own emotions?

Cornerstone Christian Counseling in Colorado Springs, CO explained five steps to achieving control of our emotions: (https://christiancounselingco.com/controlling-your-emotions/)

Step 1:  Understand that we all have emotions, because God created us that way.

Jesus showed emotions: disappointment, anger, grief, weeping, joy, peace, pain.

Step 2: Make a conscious effort to take charge of your emotions.  Unlike the animal kingdom, which responds based on fear (fight or flight), we should respond based on rational thought DESPITE how we feel.  

Step 3: Acknowledge negative emotions will happen (ex: anger, anxiety, sadness, jealousy, guilt). Remember, these are JUST emotions.  There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ to these emotions. Jesus experienced negative feelings yet DID NOT SIN. “Be angry and do not sin.” Eph. 4:26

Step 4: Once you recognize the feeling(s), it is time to make a choice on how to respond. This is where ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ can be placed.  For example, ANGER is a feeling, but there are healthy and unhealthy ways to respond.  

Step 5: Remember that no one is perfect.  But, we do have a responsibility to handle our emotions in productive, mature ways.

 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

 

https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-the-types-of-emotions-4163976