Emotional Immune Mechanism

Emotional Immune Mechanism

That stubborn, won't-go-away-or-budge, person, place, or thing, that has frustrated you forever -- what can be done? Must our happiness be stolen away all the time by this thing? Please take the following ideas into consideration as they might address something in your experience, and only decide to use what is helpful to you. Each instance is unique, and one must pray for guidance.

When the person, persons, or personalities, the hurtful or disrespectful words, actions, or lack of actions, the place, the thing, or whatever offensiveness obstructs your peace and joy, have proven thus far to be a changeless thorn in your emotions -- and all your attempts to fix, modify, or alter have failed -- now might be the time to let your emotional immune mechanism kick in.

What is this? It's a kind of survival, self-preservation strategy or action to defend your harmony and happiness. When a tough challenge confronts our mentality day after day, stealing our joy, we can often stretch our comfort zones and include it in a harmonious way. Often whatever the thorny thing is, it changes as we pray or think about it differently, so things adjust. However, you may have something like an indissoluble barbed piece of titanium that won't change or go away. Possibly you still have to include it in your life, sometimes daily, sometimes very closely. 

Then the question may be posed, what will you do with your own self about this? Will you continue to be upset, frustrated, angry, grumbly, fearful -- unhappy? Or will you decide on your own inner peace? Either way, the prickly nuisance or frustration stays the same. If you cannot change it, you can change you. Here is where the emotional immune mechanism kicks in. Think of the problem as a cell that has some element of destructiveness (destroying your peace and joy), and your comfort zone or response to all things that come to your attention, as the body surrounding and including that uneasy cell. You can't eject it or change it at the moment and it hurts. Therefore, surround the thing in a protective barrier mentally. Isolate it in an emotional coating that prevents its disturbing qualities from contaminating your day by day experience. Let it be confined and harmless to you. You are not that other person, group, place, or thing. You are not doing the hurtful act or saying the abusive words. Decide to maintain your peacefulness and harmonious life despite the presence of the annoyance. 

One mother's experience included several children who for years simply would not pick up after themselves. No strategy, no tactic, no words, penalties, threats, bribes, reasoning, or promises made the situation budge. She seemed up against an immovable obstruction to her peace and happiness. Realizing that she did have power to change her own thought and be in control of her own emotional state for peace and joy, she employed this emotional immune mechanism to maintain her health and harmony. The areas of the home where she lived, she simply kept clean because that is what she requires and thrives in -- doors to other rooms can be shut. This is the temporary fix. This is an excellent example of maintaining one's inner peace and happiness while working on a higher solution -- see 'what to do' below. 

What we have here is like a necessary bandage to handle a sustained misery-producing thing that is stubborn. The real remedy, that which will bring true adjustment for good, will lie in our determination to know spiritual truth and consent to see the joy-stealing 'cell' from God's eye-view where everything is "very good." 

Wrap the stubborn frustrating thing in a sack of immunity where it cannot hurt you, while you maintain your peace. It can be done. It is the thing you have control over. The sacked frustration thorn cannot truly affect you now. Most importantly, begin a special journal or document to gather ideas to pray with that address the issue directly. Let the divine Intelligence guide you through His Word and lift your thoughts to the spiritual and real. The basis of this work is the fact that God is good and man is His "image" (Gen. 1:26). When something opposite of good is occurring and encroaching upon your joy, it needs to be challenged by this truth. Man's true nature is the reflection of God's nature which includes every quality of good -- love, kindness, gentleness, right action, energy, logic, understanding, thoughtfulness, peace, and so forth. Declare for the opposite of that which seems annoying or hateful. 

WHAT TO DO. Begin a HEALING AND ADJUSTMENT JOURNAL.

STEP ONE for this Healing and Adjustment Journal, create two different lists of words. One list will include words that describe the problem (stubborn, ornery, lazy, mean, abusive, unforgiving, judgmental, critical, accusatory, defensive, spendthrift -- whatever is included in the (so far) unyielding joy-stealer you are now isolating with your emotional immune mechanism. Next, in another list, write all the words that are opposite these negative ones.

It is much easier and more complete if you use a thesaurus (if online go to thesaurus.com) or a dictionary, or both. This activity is the first thing you do for the journal in getting thought into a position of grace from God to directly affect the situation for good, for healing.

STEP TWO. Find verses in the Scriptures containing the words you have written in your journal, and write these on the next pages (however you decide to organize). BEGIN with the first word and its opposite. I have sometimes written a dictionary definition of each as a starter just to get thought moving. Find the words in the Bible (concordance or online search). Write the verses by the words and their definitions. PRAY with the concepts. Let your thought take the ideas or instructions given, and apply them to the disturbance right within your own thought. Consent for change of thought on your own part -- this you can do. The power of this prayer will bring adjustment to your situation in God's own way. Be patient. Give gratitude for any little sign of improvement. Do this consistently and things will adjust harmoniously through the divine power, the Love that loves you.

OPTIONAL. Put a brief note or phrase containing the main spiritual ideas from your journal into your pocket or wallet. Refer to as needed during the day. Keep the right ideas, the hope, the light, the truth in the front of your thought. This will no doubt feel difficult when the harsh or distressing person, place, or thing acts out before you again  -- but meet it silently with your higher spiritualized thought and it will yield as God's grace is acknowledged as present and all-powerful. Jesus said that we would know the truth -- the omnipotence of Good and man in His image -- and it would free us. It is our right as God's children to live in peace and be safe. 

OPTIONAL. After completing an exhaustive research, study, and application of the specific words or concepts needed to address your issue, you may wish to add a supplement with terms such as joy, sorrow, gladness, sad or sadness, happy, happiness, sighing, crying, tears, and so forth.

Isaiah 35:10 reassures us, "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."