Emotional Exaggeration

 
Our emotions are a big part of our soul. They guard and protect what we value in our hearts. It is unhealthy to ignore our emotions, and it’s also unhealthy to let them control every decision we make. We must be able to put them in their proper place.

Emotional exaggeration is what I define to describe instances where we base a bigger picture off a small piece, occurrence, or instance. For example, say one person whom you have not seen in a while said, “you’ve gained weight.” If you resolve to say, “everyone is telling me that I’m gaining weight,” this is emotional exaggeration, because we are taking something one person said and speaking and thinking as if everyone said it. There is a major difference between one person and everyone.

Emotional exaggeration is dangerous because it makes things bigger than what they seem. It can create anxiety. It can cause deception as well, making us believe things that are not true. It is imperative that we walk in discernment to know when we are ‘talking crazy,’ when we are filtering our whole life through the lenses and opinions of one or two people. To not give ourselves a chance to do better, be better, or believe different because of an experience with a few people is unfair.
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I pray you will discern your words and emotions, that you do not allow them to get the best of you, causing you to make things bigger than what they are. I pray you understand that the deception is real in these cases, and just because you have a few negative experiences does not mean your whole life will be that way. In Jesus name, amen.