The Holy One calls to me this morning. Yesterday's conference set a new perspective over my heart and mind. Today He calls me to action. "You have given Me your mind, now I want you to give Me your emotions."
Life with the Creator is anything but dull. Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing", and I know that to be true from the depths of my being. Challenges to that fact come up each day and lately the learning curve has been extreme, almost hairpin, u-turn, 180 degree turn.
So much is happening to so many people and it is hard to not grow emotionally indifferent to the pains of life and the cries of those suffering. Emotions tend to rule as life delivers some hard blows to the heart. The hero in us says, there has to be more to life and there has to be something I can do to rescue someone in some way. But then all our best efforts come to naught and somewhere along the line we come to the stark realization that we are not God.
Even on a personal level as a "Christian" the pressure to do good and be righteous ratchets up, but the sin just keeps leeching out in ways that we are helpless to stop.
Romans 7 speaks of our internal dilemma, "I do not understand what I do, for what I want to do, I do not do and what I hate, I do". Paul talks about the ongoing internal war waged in our physical bodies. Born into a form of slavery, he speaks to the dilemma of 2 laws; the law of God in his inner being and the law of the flesh which wars against the spirit of righteousness. I, too, feel the pain and I know that war all too well.
The wonder of God is Truth. Proverb 25:2 says, "It is the Glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." God's Word is true and it is the honour of the "royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9), a "chosen" nation, such as we are, to search out a matter.
The Holy One arranges the education of those who are in earnest search of truth. His wisdom and counsel never fail to challenge me beyond what I know. The pieces come together sequentially in fascinating ways.
Today He has asked me to surrender my emotions. In the great exchange, with my Savior and Lord, He has said, "Give me your life in exchange for mine." In the beginning of my journey with Jesus, I can honestly say I had no idea what that meant. Over the course of time and life, I grew in my understanding, but my flesh and will had other ideas.
As the internal battle rages, the uncrucified parts of me put up a huge fight to rule and reign. Guilt, condemnation, anger, bitterness, self-loathing, lust, hatred are all emotions before they manifest in an action and when I look for truth, I see it. I am such an emotional being, feelings rule my perspective and can even over-rule truth.
A single statement brought into my thoughts a few days ago sent a shock wave of understanding to my dull mind. Satan operates in 100% rage (at God) and attacks His beloved (us humans) through our emotions. That statement stunned me yet I know it to be true. I just hadn't thought about the ramifications of it relative to my struggles.
Pride drove Lucifer to rebellion. Pride drove Eve to eat the toxic fruit and pride has been identified as that which goes before the fall. Challenge my pride and watch all the fireworks of emotion light up the sky.
Emotions make up an important part in our being. Compassion, kindness, tenderness, love, joy, the fruit of the Spirit are all expressions of emotion yet we are told they must be controlled. and will in fact be controlled by one being or another.
No wonder Holiness wants the surrender of my emotions as well as my mind. Victory will elude us if I continue to respond emotionally to the challenges and temptations of the enemy without the Lord's help.
John 15:5, "Apart from Me you can do nothing", says the Savior of my soul. "Give me your weakness and I will give you My strength", says my Lord and Master. That is the great exchange He had in mind when He gave His life for me.
The warmth of the rising sun begins to fill the room with light and chases away the darkness. It's a very fitting beginning to a new day in the great exchange. My mind in exchange for the Mind of Christ and my emotions for His.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Life with the Creator is anything but dull. Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing", and I know that to be true from the depths of my being. Challenges to that fact come up each day and lately the learning curve has been extreme, almost hairpin, u-turn, 180 degree turn.
So much is happening to so many people and it is hard to not grow emotionally indifferent to the pains of life and the cries of those suffering. Emotions tend to rule as life delivers some hard blows to the heart. The hero in us says, there has to be more to life and there has to be something I can do to rescue someone in some way. But then all our best efforts come to naught and somewhere along the line we come to the stark realization that we are not God.
Even on a personal level as a "Christian" the pressure to do good and be righteous ratchets up, but the sin just keeps leeching out in ways that we are helpless to stop.
Romans 7 speaks of our internal dilemma, "I do not understand what I do, for what I want to do, I do not do and what I hate, I do". Paul talks about the ongoing internal war waged in our physical bodies. Born into a form of slavery, he speaks to the dilemma of 2 laws; the law of God in his inner being and the law of the flesh which wars against the spirit of righteousness. I, too, feel the pain and I know that war all too well.
The wonder of God is Truth. Proverb 25:2 says, "It is the Glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." God's Word is true and it is the honour of the "royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9), a "chosen" nation, such as we are, to search out a matter.
The Holy One arranges the education of those who are in earnest search of truth. His wisdom and counsel never fail to challenge me beyond what I know. The pieces come together sequentially in fascinating ways.
Today He has asked me to surrender my emotions. In the great exchange, with my Savior and Lord, He has said, "Give me your life in exchange for mine." In the beginning of my journey with Jesus, I can honestly say I had no idea what that meant. Over the course of time and life, I grew in my understanding, but my flesh and will had other ideas.
As the internal battle rages, the uncrucified parts of me put up a huge fight to rule and reign. Guilt, condemnation, anger, bitterness, self-loathing, lust, hatred are all emotions before they manifest in an action and when I look for truth, I see it. I am such an emotional being, feelings rule my perspective and can even over-rule truth.
A single statement brought into my thoughts a few days ago sent a shock wave of understanding to my dull mind. Satan operates in 100% rage (at God) and attacks His beloved (us humans) through our emotions. That statement stunned me yet I know it to be true. I just hadn't thought about the ramifications of it relative to my struggles.
Pride drove Lucifer to rebellion. Pride drove Eve to eat the toxic fruit and pride has been identified as that which goes before the fall. Challenge my pride and watch all the fireworks of emotion light up the sky.
Emotions make up an important part in our being. Compassion, kindness, tenderness, love, joy, the fruit of the Spirit are all expressions of emotion yet we are told they must be controlled. and will in fact be controlled by one being or another.
No wonder Holiness wants the surrender of my emotions as well as my mind. Victory will elude us if I continue to respond emotionally to the challenges and temptations of the enemy without the Lord's help.
John 15:5, "Apart from Me you can do nothing", says the Savior of my soul. "Give me your weakness and I will give you My strength", says my Lord and Master. That is the great exchange He had in mind when He gave His life for me.
The warmth of the rising sun begins to fill the room with light and chases away the darkness. It's a very fitting beginning to a new day in the great exchange. My mind in exchange for the Mind of Christ and my emotions for His.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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