The Disoriented and Becoming Oriented

The Disoriented and Becoming Oriented 

He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch!” Mark 14:33t-34 

Who can know the depth and intensity of the heart of God? No one could measure His sorrow over an unrepentant sinner or His joy over a spiritual rebel who relinquishes everything to Him. We can begin to understand what is on the heart of God only when He shares His heart with us (Amos 3:7). Are you aware of the fervent emotions in the soul of your Lord, as He carries the weight of the world? The disciples were unaware of the deep anguish in the heart of Jesus. Yet, He willingly shared His heart with them. The disciples often seemed disoriented to what Jesus was feeling. When He took delight in young children, His disciples attempted to chase them away (Luke 18:15—16). When Jesus had compassion for a woman living in sin, they acted confused (John 4:27). While Jesus wept at the hopelessness of those facing death, His closest friends grieved as if Jesus had no power to raise the dead (John 11:1—44). You can choose to be alert to the heart of God. As you seek to understand what God is feeling, He may share with you the intensity of His heart. When you are around other people, God may sensitize you to the love He feels for them. When you see others suffering, you may feel the compassion Jesus feels. When sinners return to God in repentance, you may share the Father's joy. You will react to evil the way Jesus reacts. If you will remain alert in prayer, Jesus will share His heart with you.  - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day 

The Disciples were disoriented to the things of God until they learned from Jesus. 

There's been many times that I have felt disoriented to what God's plan for me has been.  Things weren't adding up, just not making any sense.  But this has always been on me.  God's revealed plans, after the fact, always make sense. 

All this seems to tie into when life gets rough.  It gets rough for one of actually only a few reasons. Either we aren't going where we should be in God's plans or we are going where we should be in God's plans. 

James 1:12 NASB "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

I often am self incriminating when something new piles onto what isn't going well.  I look to see if I didn't do something that I should have done.

I by no means am perfect nor have I arrived at any great understanding in life but can say this:  The more I keep my determination on what God has in mind for me the better life is.  The more selfish and self-centered that I am the more painful life is.  Some of that comes from the result of this passage: Colossians 3:2-5 NASB "Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."

When you go through your day, how often are you considering things above? 

How often are you considering the Spiritual impact of your choices and decisions?  

If indeed we believe the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, do you not believe this? 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 NASB 

If you aren't focused on the things of God, what are you focusing on?

The Disciples were disoriented due to needing to be taught a new way of thinking. They didn't have the Holy Spirit yet. They were the first to be His workmanship. 

We read this:  Who knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God?  If you have come to Christ for salvation then indeed you have the Spirit of God, the Helper who was promised. 

Do you spend daily time with Jesus? Do you spend time reading your Bible? Do you at all set your mind on things above?  If you aren't then you will indeed be beaten down by the things of this world. You won't be oriented to the things of God. You will indeed be always wondering why life is so hard.  Why things make no sense at all.  God gave us the Spirit to walk with us and be in us. It is because of the Spirit we have the full armor of God as the rest of the passage after Colossians 3:12 speaks to.

It's a learning process. 

Don't expect to just wake up n think you can run out in the world and be the next Billy Graham.  The Disciples marveled greatly at what abilities they had been granted and their results.  Marveling isn't necessarily the same as understanding.  I  marvel greatly at the abilities that God's given me yet I am exceedingly reluctant to ever say that it's by my strength or wisdom I do what I am doing.  Jesus makes the way, I try to follow in it in obedience.  He connects the dots for me when His Spirit gives the understanding. Then my disorientation starts becoming orientation to the things of God. 

We always will be disoriented to the world as long as we are oriented to the things of God.  It only makes sense. We come to Christ we are no longer of this world. Does not Scripture say this: What does the light have to do with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6.

We have the light of Jesus to reveal the mind of God to a lost world. To show them how they too can be saved. Not to show them how to find health, wealth and prosperity.  Indeed He may bless them in all of those things, but the greatest priority is to be saved. To know that the persons eternal address has changed. Then to Disciple them into a life that orients them to the life God intended for them. 

Scripture also says that God isn't a God of confusion. If we don't know, then we ought to keep on praying and obeying what we've been given to do until we do get past the confusion. 

Look at how oriented and disoriented you are in your walk with Jesus. Are you setting your mind on things above? Are you in prayer daily, not merely repeating the same thing without really meaning it? Are you reading your Bible at all daily? Without those two, how do you expect to be oriented to the things of God?