Feeling

Feeling 

by David Brenneman 

Many, if not most, don't have the time nor opportunity, to gauge our feelings before we think, or act.  Praying beforehand often gives us a much better footing from which to stand in those and other situations. 

I have often heard it asked of me "What were you thinking?", my response typically was "I wasn't", to which I heard, "I can tell...".

We often aren't thinking as we go through this life.  When we really look at the first sin of Adam and Eve, the truth of it has roots in not considering the ramifications of what disobedience to God would really be.  They had an advantage of a perfect mind. No distractions from the world. No radiation from the sun degrading their mental facilities. Nothing to point to in regards to a bona-fide excuse.  They believed the serpent but not God.  Sin followed.  The mind and soul would be the battlefield from that day forward. The battle would be won at the cross of Jesus Christ thousands of years later. 

We who are in Christ are to be different. We aren't given a token to put on our keyring to pull out when sin wants to make a purchase.  We are given the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We are living with the Spirit of God within us.  The battlefield is taken over by the superior forces of God. It's our sin nature that quite often tries to mount an attack. In war there's no rules. Attacks come from anywhere at any time from any direction. 

Look good at Ephesians 6. Look at the whole armor of God. It's all encompassing.  

Look at the Biblical examples of attacks by Satan. Predictable. He's not all that creative. He only goes for what works with each person. He's ageless in comparison to our short life. He's seen what we've dabbled into and knows how to get to us. How do you defeat an enemy that knows you better than you know yourself?  By giving him something bigger to deal with. The Spirit of God.  

In Psalms we read of the psalmist saying that the Lord is his hiding place. His refuge in the time of storm.  

We don't grow by being in the sun all the time. Peaceful weather doesn't cause deep roots.  Trees grow through the storms because it causes their roots to go farther down.  The bark gets thicker because of the storm.  The growth rings are a testimony of perseverance. 

This is from Turning Point Ministries as a free download. I liked the reminders so much that I made it my phone's wallpaper. 

We are only fooling ourselves if we think we're in our lives to get everything we want out of it.  Matters not if you are a Believer or not. We are all living with the atrocities of the consequences of sin from mankind's beginning to now. We are not going to overcome sin on our own. We aren't going to have some mankind inspired awakening to a new enlightenment that brings a utopia.  Nothing we do as a civilization on our own will overcome what sin has done and is doing to humanity. 

It required the shedding of blood, just as the Bible said. 

It required a perfect sacrifice, just as the Bible said. 

It required Jesus. 

Our feelings on the matter of living life don't matter.  Nobody's feelings will pay the price for the sin they were born in nor the other sins committed during their life.

Praying deals with feelings in ways that our minds cannot. 

Praying combats attacks when we don't even know what to say. 

Praying is the culmination of the whole armor of God in a world that begs the unbelieving to get the Believer to shut up.

The beginning of the book of John speaks to the truth that men love the darkness rather than the Light.  The Light reveals the evil that men are doing and are capable of.  Feelings ruin so much in life at times. My own, have lead me down many a wrong road. 

My walk in this life needs to be me trusting in God and not me.  Needs to be me becoming more like Christ.  That people see Jesus in me and not me.  We aren't to live for corporations or movements or this in the world or that. Not to live for anything or anyone but Jesus.  For Jesus to be glorified.  

We are given the divine direction in the Great Commission. We are told that we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. Love your neighbor as yourself. Set your mind on things above not on the things that are of this world. Learn from the Lord Jesus. A Disciple is one who is to be just like the Teacher. Our ways and thoughts should be like our Teacher. 

We feel like a lot of things thanks to sin in us and this world.  Put it at the feet of Jesus.  We are told by Jesus to deny ourselves, take up your own cross and follow Him.  The world wants you to spend your time, energy and effort on you. 

When life is getting to you, when people are impossible, take it to the Lord in prayer.  "Lord help!" is a bona-fide complete prayer.  A groan that's directed to Heaven is a complete prayer. 

When we are at the feet of Jesus  what's there to harm us?  What are we to be concerned about? 

Look at what's in your life. How you're going through your day. Is frequent prayer even a part of it?  Jesus, God made flesh, often got away to talk to His Father. If He needed to...and He was God...what about you?  Don't trust your feelings and emotions. Go to the one who loves you unconditionally. Go to the one who knows what's best for you. We aren't here to pick n choose life.  But to live out our lives in appreciation to Jesus for all He's done.