Examining the Condition of Our Heart

Somewhere along the line, somehow, it would seem our society has reached the conclusion that the worst thing we can ever do is to hurt someone's feelings.  Now let me clearly state right here that feelings are legitimate and are directly associated with emotions.  Both of those things are God-given and serve functions in the human life.  However, when they are elevated to such a high and lofty position in our life that the need to constantly stroke them overshadows all else, then the scales have become unbalanced.

Some time back there was an advertising campaign launched into the world that bore the slogan "If it feels good, do it!"  At this point, I doubt most people will even remember what company that represented, but nearly anyone to whom you speak can clearly remember the slogan.  It was eagerly embraced by society and soon became the mantra by which a large portion of the population determined to live their lives.  The problem with that mentality is simple:  Nowhere in Scripture does God tell us that our feelings (emotions) should precede our actions.

I John 3:18-19 tells us: 
Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech, but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).  By this we shall come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we are of the Truth, and can reassure (quiet conciliate, and pacify) our hearts in His presence."  Let's not just talk about how loving we are-- we need to practice the actions that express that love to others.  We cannot effectively convey our faith in an all-providing, ever-present, comforting God if we are constantly exhibiting anxiety and depression to everyone around us.  Our hearts will never be pacified/quieted if we never learn to express gratitude and contentment with all He has given to us each and every day.  Clearly, we must understand that feelings and emotions cannot rule our lives.

A friend of mine recently told me about a trip she and some other ladies had made to an unfamiliar town some distance from home.  Like any self-respecting, modern-day band of women travelers, they programed their destination into the trusty GPS of her car and set out.  When they reached the town, the GPS began "guiding" them down street after street, block after block, sometimes even causing them to backtrack where they had already been.  After 30 minutes of driving in circles they stopped at a police station and received the correct directions to their desired destination.  As she was relating this story to me, Alice (my sweet friend) stated emphatically, "That doggone GPS thing was leading us everywhere but where we wanted to go!"

Often, our feelings and emotions will (if we allow them to) lead us everywhere but where we want to go in this life.  Following and acting upon feelings may result in us never reaching our desired destination.  Feelings are unreliable, unstable, and affected by too many things around us.  We cannot depend on them to direct us toward a life of stability and peace in Jesus Christ.  It is only by consciously thinking about and acting upon the directions given us in God's Word that we can eventually change our feelings and thereby create proper, healthy emotions.  Our behavior will ultimately reflect the condition of our heart.

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  So do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"  Believers have a responsibility to not let our hearts be troubled.  We must choose to walk (take action) in obedience to the Word if we are ever to feel (have the emotions of) the peace that God offers.  In a nutshell:  Actions first, then feelings!

If you are being led through this life by your emotions...STOP THAT!!!!  You are no better than a bull with a ring in his nose being forced to plod through your existence and led into turmoil day after day.  Take the ring out of your nose and start making your decisions to act on the basis of the clear instructions given in the Bible.  Then, and only then, will your feelings come into line.  Even when strong emotions try to sway you, you'll be able to stand firm in the conviction that continually dwelling (living) in obedience to God will get you to that place of peace and contentment we all so desperately seek for ourselves.

If I have hurt your feelings by something I've written here... Oh, well.  Hurt feelings are NOT the worst thing that can happen to a person!  Sometimes hurt feelings reflect a guilty conscience... and a guilty conscience is God's way of convicting us that we are not living in a way that glorifies Him and shows the world around us that He is truly the Lord of our life. 

OUR BEHAVIOR (not our feelings) REFLECTS THE CONDITION OF OUR HEARTS.

"But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].  For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; for he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like."  

(James 1:22-24)