Wrangling your toxic emotionsWrangling your toxic emotions
The Debbie Chavez Show » Podcasts
Debbie and Sarah talk about eight toxic emotions and how Bible-based practices can stop them from damaging lives and relationships. They share Scriptures, personal experiences and practical steps to keep feelings in check while growing in joy, peace and hope.
30:12•6 Nov 2026
Keeping the Bull Behind the Fence: Bible-Based Help for Toxic Emotions
Episode Overview
- Emotions are normal, but they are meant to be acknowledged and contained, not allowed to “run wild” and dictate behaviour.
- Eight key emotions—fear, anxiety, resentment, insecurity, depression, loneliness, anger and jealousy—need firm boundaries grounded in Scripture.
- Turning worry into prayer, and shifting from “what if” to “even if”, helps reduce anxiety and builds trust in God’s plan.
- Choosing forgiveness and dropping a victim identity allows healing, even when firm boundaries with unsafe people remain in place.
- Regular time in the Psalms, unplugging from media, and seeking hopeful, godly community can quiet the soul and steady emotions.
“Changing it from what if to even if. Even if… God’s there. Even if… God has a plan.”
How do people find strength in their journey through messy emotions? This conversation between Debbie and Sarah on the Squadron of Sisters podcast zooms in on what they call “toxic emotions” and how faith can keep them from running the show. Right from the start, they stress that feelings themselves aren’t the enemy.
They point to biblical figures like David and Jeremiah as proof that strong emotions are normal, but they also argue that God “didn’t intend for your emotions to guide all of your decisions and your behaviour.” To make the point vivid, Sarah shares a picture God gave her: emotions as a bull behind a fence. “You acknowledge it’s there… but you don’t let it out.
You don’t let it just run wild, causing mayhem and destruction.” The episode focuses on eight emotions that can turn toxic when left unchecked: fear, anxiety, resentment, insecurity, depression, loneliness, anger, and jealousy. For each one, Debbie and Sarah highlight specific Bible verses that warn against letting these feelings “run wild”, while also pointing to God’s desire for joy, peace, contentment and hope.
Listeners looking for practical tools get plenty: asking God and trusted friends to flag negative self-talk, turning worry into prayer, refusing to keep hitting the “replay button” on past hurts, and pausing when anger spikes so they can “respond with the Holy Spirit instead of reacting” on raw emotion. They also talk about unplugging from media, making intentional time with hopeful people, serving others to pull out of self-pity, and coaching the soul with God’s promises.
Woven through the teaching are honest stories of grief, trauma, anxiety and healing, all framed through Scripture and everyday life. If you’ve ever felt like your emotions are the ones holding the lasso, this conversation might prompt a fresh question: what would it look like to keep your “bull” behind the fence this week?
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