Feelings (Episode 14) - Kelsey Hirt

Episode 14 dives into envy, happiness, sadness, and anger reminding us that emotions are real, but how we respond to them matters. Kelsey talks about handling feelings in a healthy, God-honoring way.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey guys, welcome to the Hurts Podcast. I'm Peyton Hurt.

SPEAKER_01 0:03

And I'm Kelsey Hurt.

SPEAKER_00 0:04

And this episode is gonna sound very similar at the beginning, uh, but this is also gonna be very different, and God put this on uh both of our hearts, so uh we'll have Kelsey explain.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Yeah, I'm going to do a solo episode this week, and then Peyton is going to do a solo episode next week. I'll kind of get into how I decided my topic, but we are going on a vacation in a couple of weeks, so we're having to film back-to-back episodes this week, and kind of to lighten the load, but more so because we both have topics that we're passionate about and we want to dive into um that others might the other might not be as passionate.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Right.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

Um, we're going to just do solo episodes. I don't think this is going to be a consistent thing, but just a once-in-a-while thing. Um, so I'm really excited to get into my topic, and Peyton will do a solo episode next week.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Yeah, and something that, again, kind of like what Kelsey said, we really don't know what the future holds for us because we're just trying to pray and let God lead us through this podcast and and what uh he wants for us because you know God is the one that put it on our heart to start this, so we want to make sure that this is spirit-led uh and that we're we're committing that we're following not committing, but following God's will and what he wants us to do with this. Uh because it's a ministry for us.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

It is, yeah. So that's just a heads up of why it looks different.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Yeah. So uh a little bit of our week, weekend. Um again, we're filming this on an abnormal day that we don't usually.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Yes, it's Saturday morning.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Yeah, so we're in the middle of our weekend, but um yesterday we kind of we had a good week.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Um Yeah, there was a couple of things that happened where I'm like, I can't wait to talk about this on the podcast. Uh what was it, Wednesday?

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Wednesday, yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Wednesday we went to go play pickleball and we didn't expect anybody else to be at the courts, but there was this league there, and it consisted of different ages, but mostly older people, and they took us under their wing and like taught us things and played with us and had patience with us. Yes. Because we've only played a handful of times.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Right, yeah, very new to pickleball. So that was really cool to meet new people um and do that, and then uh yeah, just kind of going through the week, there's been some uh cool moments, and um, I think later on and in different episodes I'll I'll get to share, but um just moments I've been able to share Christ with other people uh at at my job and things like that, and things that are going on uh in life.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So yeah, and Thursday um we had the bridge and it was actually the last meeting until we break.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

For week we we're we're done meeting weekly, but we have like events and things throughout the summer. Yeah, throughout the summer.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

So and then we'll do a campfire next Thursday.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yes, we're so excited for that.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Yeah, but we can't wait to get back into it um and stay connected with those people.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

And then this weekend we have we are meeting, so we had been praying for uh new people to be put in our lives, new friends, and uh again, this is a story for later, but we're uh we're meeting them today.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Yep, we're having them over, getting dinner, having fellowship, yes, so we're really excited about it because when you know that God put them in our lives, which I don't want to spoil anything because I feel like next episode you're gonna dig into some of this, but when you know it's like orchestrated by God, you know, friendships, then it's really exciting.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Right. So um, yeah, we just wanted to hop in here really quick and kind of let you know what's going on. And yeah, when the episode actually starts and you're like, man, where where's Peyton? Like, why is he not talking?

SPEAKER_01 3:42

He's behind me, he's watching me.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

So in front of me, watching me.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

So yeah, we have again remember, um, if you want to share uh or if you're watching on a different platform, we are on Spotify, we are on YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. So feel free to share um because we God has called us, I feel like, to to share this and use this as a platform for people to learn and grow.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

So yes. So let's get into the episode. See you later.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Yeah, bye guys, see you next week.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

And we are back, just me, like we said. Um, but thank you again for joining us today. So the topics, the topic that I'm gonna be speaking on um is feelings. Feelings. Now, this came to me late in the night. Actually, I could not fall asleep last night. Um, and I was feeling lonely because Peyton was sleeping, and I'm like, oh, I wish people were up, and then I was like, hey, God is awake. So soon I started praying, and then um once I started praying, it just felt like God put all of these ideas into my mind about the podcast that we were filming. Um, and we were gonna film it, I think, later in the week, but I was just super passionate and on fire to film it today, so we're filming it today. Um, and I was reflecting on how I got to this topic, and of course it was God speaking to me, but also He would bring up past experiences uh where my emotions were in play. And I think that I've definitely learned from that. I that I think that if we can frame our feelings in a way that will get us to grow closer to Christ, I think that's such a very powerful act. And I want to say right away that this podcast isn't to take away from your experience, your tough times, but it's to view our feelings in a way that may help you in your walk with Jesus. So this podcast isn't saying you cannot feel emotions. This podcast is saying you can feel emotions, but how you react to them and what it makes you do next is so important. Um, so I have a lot of notes, so you might see me sticking to my notes. I have a lot of scripture that I'll be reading today. But let's start out with kind of the main idea of this podcast. So feelings. Like I said, God gave us emotions for a reason. They are informers, they're there to inform us, but they're not our master. And I heard that, I believe, from Bryce Crawford. Um, I like that. They are to inform us, not we are not, they're not our masters. So while feelings are not a sin, we need to be aware that they can lead us to sin. Now I am someone who has always had strong emotions. Growing up, I don't know what it was, but like I had strong emotions to the point where I would even write songs. Um, and I'm also someone who now currently uses the phrase a lot, I feel like. I don't know if anyone can relate to that, but I use that phrase a lot, I feel like. And I think that just emphasizes that I'm a very emotional person. I can tend to be emotional. So I'm gonna be breaking down some different emotions, and these were given to me by God, I believe, because they popped into my mind last night. I'm gonna be talking about anger, sadness, happiness, and envy. Envy. So starting out with anger, this is probably going to be the longest talk today. Um, I want to start out with a verse, and you can see I have two Bibles laid out, so many bookmarks, and I'm gonna have to use my phone. So I'm looking at Ephesians 4, 26. It says, In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. And also verse 27 says, and do not give the devil a foothold. So again, it's not saying don't be angry, it's saying, in your anger, do not sin. Now I think anger is a complex emotion, and that's because I think anger, when you're angry, at least for me, it's usually because I feel like something is unfair. And when I was thinking last night, um a picture came into my head, and this is something that we discussed in college when we were talking about emotions and dealing with them, and um, it's this iceberg. So there's an iceberg, and the majority of it is underwater, but the tip of the iceberg is on the surface, and on the surface you see the word anger, but below the water, where you can't see unless you dive into it, are other emotions like sadness, um, depression, confusion, feeling misunderstood. So that's why I think anger is such a complex emotion because there's so much that goes into it, and it can come out different ways. So, when I talk about anger, some questions that came to mind, what are you thinking when you are angry? This goes back to how anger can become a sin. What are you saying? How are you viewing a child of God, or how are you viewing yourself? Because sometimes we can even be angry at ourselves. And with anger, I think we need to be so careful because you know, with grudges, holding grudges, hearts can harden over time, bitterness can build up, and you will slip away. I say that from experience. When I have so much bitterness, it's hard for me to see the whole picture, it's hard for me to see um who exactly God is and what he has for me. It's hard for me to be kingdom-minded. And I'm not saying, once again, don't be angry, because in this life, I think it's obvious, we are going to be angry. You will experience anger, but it's what you do with the anger that matters. How we express ourselves matters because we are supposed to live a godly life. Um, kind of going into healthy outlets, obviously turn to God, pray, um, read the Bible, dig into the word, um, seek Him first, but also seek counsel. Maybe it's community, maybe it's going for a run. I know friends who like love to run, especially when they are having a hard day. And I also wanted to talk about vindication because while I was thinking about anger last night, vindication came into my mind. And if you don't know what vindication is, um, it really just emphasizes that God defends us. Um, it has to do with justification or proving someone to be faithful and innocent. And I thought about a time in my life where I felt misunderstood, and this word was with me for a good amount of a season, and I remember having the word come to my mind, but I didn't know what it meant. But as soon as I looked it up and I related to it and meeting or feeling like I needed God to defend me in that moment, that word followed me everywhere. I saw it in scripture. I never noticed it before. Um, it was said in my college classes, and I was like, what is going on? This word vindication must be very important. And again, it just highlights that God defends. So if you are going through a season where you feel misunderstood, where you feel like people are assuming things about you that aren't true, um, or maybe things are being said about you that aren't true. God vindicates. God vindicates. I want to read Psalm 35, 24. Here it is. Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God. Do not let them gloat over me. So again, this is just a psalm that talks about vindication, and I want to focus in on the phrase, in your righteousness. God vindicates in righteousness. That means he's vindicating in a pure way that leads to righteousness. So I really like that verse, and that's one that stuck out to me when I was going through my time. Moving on to sadness. Let's start with verse Psalm 34.18. Again, I have so many Bibles open. I'm sorry, it's taking me a second. Psalm 34.18. Here it is. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. In this world, we will have troubles. Um, and you might go through a season where the sadness is fleeting, it doesn't last long, or maybe you're going through grief, and I'm not here to take away from that at all. Again, I'm just discussing how we can turn to the Lord in each season and each emotion. Um, and so again, in this world we will have troubles. It says that straight in the Bible. Um, and when you are sad, I think I just want to focus on what are you turning to? How are you coping with the sadness? Is it godly? Is it leading you to good? Is it leading you to bad? Is it leading you to addiction? What is it? We know that Job was sad. Job had things taken away from him. We know that David was sad. We see it throughout Psalms where he just cries out to the Lord. And again, don't hear what I'm not saying. Sadness is okay. Um, in fact, a good cry personally makes me feel better. But but again, like in that sadness, ask yourself, what are you turning to? What next steps are you taking? So now I want to go into happiness, our third emotion out of four. Um, happiness, the first thing I thought about, the first question that came to my mind was, you're happy now? Are you going to continue to seek God? And this hit home with me because there are seasons where I have sought God. Um, and we've talked about this recently in group. I have sought God and with all my heart because I felt like I needed something. I I needed to lean on him. I was sad. I was in a season of unknown. And now that I'm comfortable and I feel more comfortable because I'm secure, I live near my family, I live with my husband, I have a job uh that I enjoy going to day to day and seeing friends. And like I know what's gonna happen. I know what's gonna happen day to day. It's the mundane. But now that I'm comfortable, am I seeking the Lord? And I think this is, again, just such a good question because when we are comfortable, we tend to stay comfortable. And I've said this before in a past podcast, but we will not grow in our comfort zone. I mean, you might grow little, but I think it's just easy to lose track of what's important when we're comfortable. Um, and there's a lot of verses in the Bible, I'm not really gonna get into this one too much, but verses that reflect happiness and gladness. Um, but and in those verses, like I specifically think of Paul, how he's so happy to write to the churches, and um, he's like, I'm thinking of you, I'm praying for you continuously. And he still continued his mission for God. Those letters changed lives, it advanced the gospel, it advanced the kingdom. So being mindful and like happiness is such a good emotion. I love being happy, but let happiness flow and lead us to be even more motivated on mission to seek the kingdom. I have three points I want to say, um, I guess kind of four, before moving on to envy. Feel the anger, turn to God. Feel the sadness, turn to God, feel the happiness, turn to God. Feel the envy, which I'm gonna be getting into, turn to God. I think masking your feelings or pushing them down is not healthy. Um, I've definitely dealt with this, and I I know that feelings will eventually bubble up and spill out like a volcano later on. Fast, hot, heavy. And if we continue to not face our feelings, I don't think, I think it's hard for us to grow through that and maybe handle them in the way that we're supposed to, which is in healthy ways. And again, like I said above, that's or before, that's why turning to God is so important. And again, he is all knowing, he knows what we're feeling, he knows what we're thinking, he knows the weight of it all. Jesus was here on earth, you know, he he God took human form, and Jesus came down to the earth, and um He's human, He was human and He felt what we felt, and He wept. Um, so just take that as encouragement and knowing that it's okay to show your feelings, it's okay to show your feelings, but what you do with those feelings really matters. So after I typed this out, all that I've just read, Slash said, I still cannot fall asleep. So I was up pretty late. I think it was until like 4 a.m. So I was like, okay, Lord, what other feelings should I discuss? And envy came into my mind, um, which I realized that I'm discussing almost the whole cast of inside out. I thought that was really funny. I just wanted to say that. Um, but going back to envy, at first I thought envy had a negative connotation, which it definitely does, but there's two sides to envy, and I want to break that down. So, envy in a negative sense, it's often called the ugliest emotion. Um, this kind of envy occurs when you desire what someone else has and you wish to see them lose it. And this kind of envy is discussed in the Bible, and I want to focus on Proverbs 1430. It says a heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. That's that's very serious. A heart at peace, so when you are this kind of envious, you're not at peace, it gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. It literally destroys. And I've struggled with envy, this kind of envy in the past, um, and it's not fun. And it's it's definitely been a battle to try to combat and turn to dealing with the emotion in a positive way. Um, I think Peyton and I, it was like a month ago, um, we were watching a podcast, and these two people, they're pretty big in the um music industry, Christian music industry, people we like to enjoy, and then another big podcaster, and we found ourselves being like, wow, how nice would it be just to you? They were talking about their traveling, um, kind of like you could understand their flexible schedule, they don't work in nine to five. Um, and we were like, wow, we wish we could have that, like that must be nice. And I said, I feel very jealous right now. Can you please pray and pray that away this jealousy? Pray with away this jealousy, um, because I know what it could turn into. And so Peyton prayed for us, and that was very powerful. So, just another encouragement like when you are feeling jealous, something that has helped me is to tell myself that is not my story, that is not the story God has had for me, um, or praying in the moment. So, going into the other type of jealousy, it's in my notes, in a positive sense, envy acts as a powerful motivational force. It occurs when you recognize someone else's suc someone else's success, but instead of tearing them down, you use it as inspiration to improve yourself. Um, I think of in my life, a recent example, which I know I would say I'd tell you guys how I've been doing with my Bible reading. I've been doing better. I've been touching my Bible before my phone. Um, but before this, these past two weeks, I've seen Peyton read his Bible every night, and I made an active choice not to do that. And I would look at him, and instead of being jealous in a negative sense of how secure he was in reading his Bible each day and his walk with Christ, it motivated me. Um, and so I think that's a great example of how you might have a feeling of envy, but it turned into good, if that makes sense. Again, these two different meanings emphasize that how you react to feelings matter. And again, me being an emotional person and going through seasons where I feel so drowned in my emotions. I think that it's it's easy to say right now how we react matters. It's a choice, and it might not always feel like a choice, but that's where turning to God is so important and so powerful because He is good and He will meet you where you are. I also wanted to say a couple more things before I close out. With feelings comes discernment, and again, that's why also God gives us emotions, but it's a gift from God. They help us, emotions help us to also have empathy, compassion, understanding. They help us to not be robots. We're able to be there for people and feel for them and sit with them and just be understanding. It helps us to be a community. And I think of my testimony, and I wrote this down last night, there's sadness, there's anger, but there's also happiness, and it's a part of life. You know, I there were times probably where I tried to avoid these feelings, but when I faced them and turning to God and trying to better myself in a godly way, I went so much further than if I shoved them away or if I turned to what the world had. To offer. Again, I sat with those feelings, I felt them, but then I also would turn to God. And I'm not perfect in that all the time. I'm not gonna sit here and say that because I can definitely tend to fall into negative thinking patterns after having certain emotions. But just looking back and seeing how much more powerful it is to turn to God and not let that emotion lead my decisions, but let God lead me. It's been really, really cool to see. Um, so again, it's just important to stay on guard and not sin in our feelings, not let them control us or stop us from doing what God called us to do. So that's all I have. Thank you so much for listening. Um, I'm so thankful that I could talk about this. I was honestly, I'm like kind of out of breath because I got nervous by myself. I'm used to having pain in here. But I'm so happy that I could just share what God put on my heart. I know it was for a reason. I hope, I pray that this reaches people who need to hear it. Um, and I had a little closing. What was I gonna say? Oh, I hope that this podcast is a reminder or a motivation to turn to God and our feelings. Thank you for listening. I hope you have a good week.