We live in a time when all over the world experience seekers and hyper-emotionalism is the cool trend in Christianity across all ages, especially among the younger generation. But who wants to be cool when you can be holy? Knowing how to correctly read our Bibles is so important to knowing God more richly and deeply and transformatively. For example, I talk about a verse that is often misused in my blog article “10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married”. Ephesians 4:26 says “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger”. Most people would interpret that for face value and determine that getting angry is sinful, thus, common wisdom would tell you “never go to bed angry”. But feelings are not bad. We have an emotive God who feels things such as grief, anger, jealousy, delight, etc. and we are made in His image. You are not sinning when you are anxious, despairing, or annoyed — it is our response to those feelings that determines if we are choosing to sin or walk in the reality that we are set apart for Him (Romans 8:29 and 1 Peter 1:14-16).
When we are overcome with our emotions, good, bad, or indifferent, are we bearing the Fruits of The Spirit? Or do we lack self-control when we are either convulsing over a perceived spiritual high or snapping at a family member when we are irritated? Do we choose to pause in order to regulate our emotions when someone offends us or do we allow them to rob us of our peace and joy? Are we asking God for help, direction, and strength recognizing Him as our only Hope and ultimate Comforter and Counselor? Are we going to Scripture for answers with prayer and supplication making our requests known to Him or are we leaning on our own understanding to make decisions out of our emotions because we feel hurried, desperate, or even prideful? In those moments when we are choosing our ways over God’s ways, we must approach His throne of Grace with contrition but with confidence knowing full well that He is always faithful to forgive and grant your repentance (see 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Acts 11:18, Revelations 3:19, and Romans 2:4 among others). I love what Burk Parsons says in his article The Gift of Repentance:
“It is an act that the Holy Spirit works in us resulting in an act that flows out of us. Although it is our act, it does not originate from within us. In fact, in our naturally stubborn, rebellious hearts the whole notion of repentance is foreign. Just as our righteousness is a foreign, or “alien,” righteousness from Christ, so is our repentance. It is granted to us by God Himself. We would not even conceive of such a thing left to ourselves. Instead, we would come up with all sorts of excuses for our sin and would point our depraved fingers at everyone else around”.
Haven’t we all been guilty of hemming and hawing at God’s correction and choosing to justify our unholy behavior with something other than being brokenhearted over our words and actions? Oftentimes, what the world tells us through advertisements, influencers, and other entertainment, is that we need to have a lifestyle and mindset or constantly being in a hurry, striving to do more, be more, have more. This lifestyle and mindset that we are bombarded with in society convinces us running ‘that’ race ought to be our measure of success and source of our fulfillment. But that is a lie from the devil who, for now, rules this world of depravity and brokenness. That lie leaves us wanting more time and again, distracting us from the true race we are to run where our ultimate prize is Jesus and glorification in Heaven. While we still remain on this earth, Jesus seated on High and continues interceding for us, keeping us in The Father’s hands (see John 17). While we still remain in this world, God wants us to have a life of true satisfaction in Him, overflowing with the peace, joy, and security we have because of our Saviour, fueled by the grace that abounds to us through Christ Jesus. We are to magnify our Lord in us, not our problems. We can experience our feelings, but we must not dwell there. Instead, we must preach The Gospel to ourselves day in, day out. We must seek His face in all things and all circumstances and run our race well as we turn our problems into opportunities to respond appropriately to the miracle that is our salvation… and that is:
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:3-6)
Aren’t there times when we turn our situations and our feelings about our issues into idols? We get so comfortable with glorifying our problem instead of glorifying God by entrusting the situation to Him and doing what it says in 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Humble yourself. Humble myself. We are called to live a life of humility in conformity to Jesus who is perfect and magnificent in His humility, under the safety of the sovereignty of He who cares for you.