For those of you with a business background, you’ll immediately recognize the initials ROI.  For those who never opened a Business Admin text or have never researched investment ideas, the letters stand for Return on Investment.  Simply stated, this means how much a company is earning (income and profit) on their investment (which may be equipment, personnel, software programs, etc.).  The greater their ROI, the better their balance sheet and profitability.

            OK.  Enough with the boring Business Admin stuff.  What does ROI have to do with your emotions?  Keep in mind the concept of getting a positive return, or profitability.  Now, put this in the context of your emotions.  Have you ever stopped to consider how profitable your emotions are?  I want to look at two possible emotional expressions, both positive and negative so we can evaluate if there is any benefit, or profit, to you.

            First, let’s attack a negative emotion: Bitterness.  This is very often the result of unforgiveness.  So, how profitable is it for you to get stuck in unforgiveness?  You probably told yourself that “they deserve it”, or “I can’t forgive them for what they did”, and so forth.  Think about what you carrying around bitterness does to them.  Nothing.  But what does it do to you?  Plenty.  It adds stress to your life.  It puts a barrier between you and the other person, not to mention anyone who is “on their side”.  In most cases bitterness even affects your countenance.  In other words, it affects the look on your face.  You are more likely to have a scowl on your face; an unhappy disposition; you just look unhappy, or mad all the time. This is your ROI, and we’re going to call this a loss for you rather than a profit. (Remember the past post about Emotional Wealth?)

            The reality is that this particular ROI is no one’s fault but yours.  No one else keeps you from forgiving.  No one else keeps pouring the acid of bitterness into your heart.  You are doing it to yourself.  You are investing your emotions into a black pit that will not leave you with a positive benefit, or profit.

            Now, what about a positive emotion?  The obvious one here is showing forgiveness.  Another way of saying this is to show grace; treating someone better than you think they deserve.  (Remember, this is what God has done for us.  In Christ, He treated us better than we deserved.)  Now, if you show grace, what is the negative?  Some might say that the other person doesn’t get what they deserve.  That might be correct, but did your bitterness “give them what they deserve”?  Nope.  In Romans 12:19 Paul reminds us that vengeance belongs to God.  He will see to it that everyone “gets what they deserve”.  It isn’t up to you.  So, there isn’t a negative.  The positive should be obvious: freedom from bitterness for you!  This is the ROI that you should be looking for.  Freedom is a positive profit! Again, emotional wealth.

            Can you control your emotions such that you forgive even when you are angry?  Absolutely!  We aren’t called to show grace only when we’re feeling cheerful!  That’s part of the value of grace.  Offer it freely even, especially when your emotions are tangled up.  You can have a positive return on the investment of your emotions, if you plan for it and manage your emotions to this end. 

More on Emotional ROI next time. Until then, use the contact information below to begin your journey to emotional health and management.

Chuck Phillips Life Choices Christian Counseling, LLC

Licensed Christian Pastoral Counselor, N.C.C.A. Board Certified Advanced Christian Life Coach, I.B.C.C.

LifeChoicesCLC.Com LifeChoicesCLC@gmail.com 573-280-5093