Venting Is A Temporary Pleasure
We all have those days where things don't seem to go as planned. Maybe we were late to work & our boss just chewed us out. Maybe the baby won't stop crying and you've been awake for 3 days straight. Maybe you're under so much pressure to finish college and you just hit your breaking point. You've popped a fuse and you either let it all out through anger and sadness or through a certain yet deadly vice. During these quick moments and pesky days, there's either an audience of ears just waiting to sip the hottest tea about your life or you fall into the pattern of calling on a not so reliable source and deep down, you know that particular person can't help you but because they make themselves available to listen to your rant, you call on them anyway. You probably go on for hours or you just take 10 minutes to yell, scream, or cry. After the entire venting session is over, you are under the illusion that you feel better. But see, what are the main characteristics of feeling better? Well, we go on living our lives without a care in the world. Then...tell me...why is the thing you vented about 3 weeks ago still have an effect on you mentally and emotionally? Wasn't venting supposed to help? Why does that certain subject keep revisiting your mind and toying with your thoughts?
Venting is only a temporary pleasure. We believe that talking to someone, no matter what state of mind we are in, we will feel better once it's over, when in reality we are either digging ourselves into a deeper whole or feeding the enemy our greatest weaknesses. Not everyone who is willing to listen has good intentions behind it. Now yes, some people may read this and say that everyone needs to talk sometimes and others may even call me a hypocrite since I have vented before. I will put myself out there, yes I have had my share in venting sessions, not only in the past but also in the present as well. This is exactly why I have come to learn that we actually don't benefit from venting. Letting everything out to a willing ear isn't best solution for you to heal. It's not even a solution at all technically speaking. Each time I have vented in the past and present, it always either came back to bite me in the butt or drown my head with terrible thoughts.
The feelings behind venting is pretty much set up like an old school whack-a-mole game. Hit one head (in this case, the subject you vented on or about) another head pops up, then another and another and all throughout the week, it just keeps coming up. Left, right, without warning: POP POP POP! The subject in which you have vented about truly doesn't go away because when we vent, we give into our flesh. So..when is the problem solved? It starts with you, then it proceeds to self examination, the company you keep, and what your focus is on. We don't benefit from venting, we might think that we do, but truthfully, we don't. Now, let's take a look at a certain scripture on venting divided up into 3 different versions.
Proverbs 29:11
"Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly holds it back" NLT (New Living Translation)
"A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards" KJV (King James Version)
Now, as we can see, even though it is spread out in three different ways, this scripture is still carrying the same message. It would be unwise to vent through your anger and emotions. Of course, you don't want things to bottle up inside you to the point where you explode, there is a way of escape and that way is talking things out to the Heavenly Father who is close to us when we have frustrating or sad moments. We don't have to vent to Him though, once we calm ourselves and ease our minds, we can pray to Him. He won't pressure us into doing it though. As we all know, God is a gentleman and He never forces Himself onto anyone (note free will) it's actually certain people who talk Him up to be forceful because of their own understandings. We can talk things out to God even when we think words don't work, when we cry, we can pray about it, we can write about it, we can praise and worship our way through. Once we place everything in the Lord's hands and actually TRUST that He will take care of it, then we will have peace because once God handles a thing concerning your life, it's final. It may not be easy but it's crucial to know what your focus is on.
Are you letting your flesh and worldly habits attempt to fix you because it's familiar? Or are you going to look to the Word of God and run to pray about it before speaking about it. See, what we put in the atmosphere is literally up for grabs because the enemy can snatch it up if it doesn't get covered, he's got ears too honey. Speaking of ears, you've gotta watch what you say when speaking to others. Don't you know that when you talk to someone, you have the ability to plant seeds into them? When people listen (if their guard is down) they take in everything you say. Some people can let you know when you're going to far though while others may still have a foot in the world and they decide to give you a feel good, familiar hype up when you really need correction, prayer, deliverance, and or repentance. See, when you vent, not only are you damaging yourself, you might be damaging others as well because of the subject or person you're talking about. They might lean on their own understanding to give you advice that doesn't even heal you, it just shifts your pain momentarily. Have people around you who will let you know when you've gotta get down on your knees and pray. Have people around you who will know the difference between godly wisdom and worldly advice. Watch what comes out of your mouth, you don't want to sow negative seeds into someone else's life just because you're having a bad day. Your one vent session could change someone's perspective on their situations or that person you were talking about. Their perspective could change based on your actions because, they look to you as an example of who they want to be. If they see you having rants and throwing temper tantrums, then they'll follow in your footsteps. I challenge you to take a step back and examine yourself, ask yourself: Are people following you into destruction or towards victory? How are your actions and words impacting others?
Venting is a temporary pleasure that gives us the illusion that we feel better afterwards. Seek God through rough times, don't announce your troubles to the corrupt audience lurking in the shadows. Keep the megaphone of anger away from the ears of others and examine yourself. Deny yourself! Know that someone is looking to you. Your actions, your path, your decisions, it's all being noticed by the next person and you might not even know it or know them but they know and see you. They are learning from you and how you carry yourself as a believer in Christ. Are you leading them into destruction or to victory? Are you showing them how to handle rough times through God in praise and worship, or throwing a temper tantrum?
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will permit the godly to slip & fall."
(Psalms 55:22 NLT)
As Always: Stay Blessed & Encouraged
Are you letting your flesh and worldly habits attempt to fix you because it's familiar? Or are you going to look to the Word of God and run to pray about it before speaking about it. See, what we put in the atmosphere is literally up for grabs because the enemy can snatch it up if it doesn't get covered, he's got ears too honey. Speaking of ears, you've gotta watch what you say when speaking to others. Don't you know that when you talk to someone, you have the ability to plant seeds into them? When people listen (if their guard is down) they take in everything you say. Some people can let you know when you're going to far though while others may still have a foot in the world and they decide to give you a feel good, familiar hype up when you really need correction, prayer, deliverance, and or repentance. See, when you vent, not only are you damaging yourself, you might be damaging others as well because of the subject or person you're talking about. They might lean on their own understanding to give you advice that doesn't even heal you, it just shifts your pain momentarily. Have people around you who will let you know when you've gotta get down on your knees and pray. Have people around you who will know the difference between godly wisdom and worldly advice. Watch what comes out of your mouth, you don't want to sow negative seeds into someone else's life just because you're having a bad day. Your one vent session could change someone's perspective on their situations or that person you were talking about. Their perspective could change based on your actions because, they look to you as an example of who they want to be. If they see you having rants and throwing temper tantrums, then they'll follow in your footsteps. I challenge you to take a step back and examine yourself, ask yourself: Are people following you into destruction or towards victory? How are your actions and words impacting others?
Venting is a temporary pleasure that gives us the illusion that we feel better afterwards. Seek God through rough times, don't announce your troubles to the corrupt audience lurking in the shadows. Keep the megaphone of anger away from the ears of others and examine yourself. Deny yourself! Know that someone is looking to you. Your actions, your path, your decisions, it's all being noticed by the next person and you might not even know it or know them but they know and see you. They are learning from you and how you carry yourself as a believer in Christ. Are you leading them into destruction or to victory? Are you showing them how to handle rough times through God in praise and worship, or throwing a temper tantrum?
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will permit the godly to slip & fall."
(Psalms 55:22 NLT)
As Always: Stay Blessed & Encouraged
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