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ship > Good Days, Better Days- Or, Understanding Our Emotions by Tom Stewart |
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Good Days, Better Days
Or, Understanding Our Emotions
"But the path of the just is as the shining Light,
that shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day"
(Proverbs 4:18).
by Tom Stewart
Preface
nly Christians
will live happily ever after, for only in God's presence is the "fulness of joy"
(Psalm 16:11),
and Christ's presence in Heaven is the Eternal Destiny of every True Saint. "2 In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3). However, until the Master is ready to take us Home to
Heaven by death or Rapture, we must understand our emotions, or stumble over them.
"The entrance of Thy Words giveth Light;
it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psalm
119:130). The pathway before us, in the meantime,
has been designated by our God to be an ever increasing experience of growing understanding
of Himself (most of all), ourselves, and even our emotions. "But the path of the just is as the shining Light, that shineth
more and more unto the Perfect Day" (Proverbs 4:18).
Content in Christ
e most heartily agree, that "some days are better
than others." At least, that is the way it feels. But, feelings do not necessarily
reflect facts. "11 Not that I speak
in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be
content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound:
every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:11-13). The
Apostle Paul experienced the peaks and the valleys of emotions in his walk with Christ,
but he professed to his being instructed how "to
be content" (4:11) in "all things" (4:12) and always "through Christ" (4:13).
Our contentment with the love, mercy, and grace of the LORD Jesus must transcend
our emotions and feelings, or else we will be content with God only when we feel
like it. "As sorrowful, yet alway
rejoicing" (2Corinthians
6:10). Faith, then, must teach us to look beyond
our emotions to Christ. "Looking unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of Our Faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the
Throne of God" (Hebrews
12:2). Like the human example of Jehovah Jesus,
Who was aquainted with grief, suffering, and pain, He saw by faith beyond the immediate
sufferings to the joys surrounding the Throne of God-- as we should. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps" (1Peter 2:21).
For Thy Sake
he Good LORD has wisely ordained our labor and employments
to be an efficient environment to sanctify us. "Cursed
is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of
thy life" (Genesis
3:17). Only an All Wise God could plan from
the foundation of the Earth how to use our daily pains and sufferings to perfect
us, for even the humanity of our Divine Saviour was perfected through His sufferings.
"For it became Him, for Whom are all things,
and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain
of Their Salvation perfect through sufferings"
(Hebrews 2:10).
Because we understand that man is worse than a poor twig to lean upon, i.e., "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth
in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD" (Jeremiah 17:5), we can wisely trust our Benevolent God to choose out our
daily circumstances as occasions to cause us to trust Him more, i.e., "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren,
as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every
one of you all toward each other aboundeth"
(2Thessalonians 1:3).
Love, Not Emotions Fulfill God's Law
ut, back to our feelings. "Some days are better
than others." Our 19th century friend and mentor, Charles G. Finney ---New Window, made this comment
that the extent of our moral obligation to God does not directly include our involuntary
emotions.
"All the law is fulfilled in one word, 'love.'
['For
all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself' (Galatians
5:14).]
Now this cannot be true, if the spirit of the whole law does not directly respect
intentions only. If it extends directly to thoughts, emotions, and outward actions,
it cannot be truly said that love is the fulfilling of the law. This love must be
good will, for how could involuntary love be obligatory?" (from Finney's "Lectures
on Systematic Theology" ---New Window, Lecture
4 ---New Window).
Mr. Finney was merely pointing out that our emotions
or feelings cannot be the basis of our obligation to God. God never demands us to
feel holy. He commands us to be holy, i.e., "Be
ye holy; for I am holy" (1Peter
1:16). Never does God command us to feel lovely.
He always insists that you "love the LORD
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37).
Controlling Our Emotions
nstead, our emotions or feelings are much like a
vehicle or medium between our heart-- which is the seat of our moral agency, i.e.,
God says to man, "My son, give me thine
heart" (Proverbs
23:26)-- and our outward self. Our outward
body or countenance communicates to others how we feel. "A
merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit
is broken" (15:13). God has so designed us, that our emotions can only be
indirectly controlled by our heart; so, when we voluntarily obey a direct Commandment
to rejoice, we will only indirectly and eventually feel joyful. "Rejoice in the LORD alway: and again I say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). If we should reverse the process, looking for the joyful
feeling without first loving obedience to the command to rejoice, we will be sadly
disappointed. "Why art thou cast down,
O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise
Him, Who is the Health of my countenance, and my God"
(Psalm 43:5).
Conversely, a wide spectrum of emotions can be triggered by our environment and circumstances,
giving us daily opportunities to choose to love and trust God even more. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Psalm 56:3). It is important that we comprehend this, because our "adversary the devil, as a roaring lion" (1Peter 5:8) understands this concept, as well. He must seek permission from
the Father, i.e., "Jesus answered, Thou [Pontius Pilate] couldest
have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from Above" (John 19:11), before he can attack our emotions. But, our Heavenly Father has
given even our emotions the benefit of the protection of the "whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil" (Ephesians
6:11). If we will resist the feeling or emotion
through faith by a definite act of trusting in God, that undesirable feeling will
indirectly, but certainly flee. "Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). This is the foundational reason for the Promises of God-- to give
us a response of faith to every conceivable contigency of life. "3
According as his Divine Power hath given unto
us ALL THINGS that pertain unto Life and Godliness, through the Knowledge of Him
that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 whereby are given
unto us Exceeding Great and Precious Promises: that by these ye might be partakers
of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust" (2Peter
1:3-4). [The Promises ---New Window section of the WStS website
is designed to help the Saints with their daily sanctification.]
Healthy Christian Emotions
healthy Christian life is controlled by the Spirit
of God. "There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). By faith, we have been guaranteed that whatever circumstance or
temptation allowed by the Father, is for our good, i.e.,
"all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). But, regardless of what emotion is triggered by our environment,
circumstances, or Satan, our Loving Father will not allow us to be tempted without
a way to escape. "There hath no temptation
taken you but such as is common to man: but God is Faithful, Who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make
a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it"
(1Corinthians 10:13).
We should not tempt God by attempting to tie His hands in what emotions He allows
to be triggered in us through our contact with our environment, for He knows what
is best to develop and mature us. "Know
ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we
are His people, and the sheep of His pasture"
(Psalm 100:3).
Instead, we ought to respond to every circumstance or emotion with an Exceeding Great
and Precious Promise, e.g., if we feel doubt about what we should do, then we ought
to claim in prayer the Promise of Wisdom for those who ask. "If any of you lack Wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). If we just don't feel very Spiritual, then we ought to remember
that we are still very special by virtue of The Gift of God's Own Son. "He that spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him
up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). Any feeling or temptation has an appropriate Promise
from God to sanctify and secure us. And, if none other can be found, use one
of His trustworthy, general purpose tools, e.g., "Draw
nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you"
(James 4:8). "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him,
to all that call upon Him in Truth" (Psalm 145:18). "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee
great and mighty things, which thou knowest not"
(Jeremiah 33:3).
"Ask, and ye shall receive, that your
joy may be full" (John
16:24). "Now
unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the Power that worketh in us"
(Ephesians 3:20).
Conclusion
ur emotions were given to us by our Creator to fully
express what He is working out in our heart. "My
heart is inditing a good matter" (Psalm 45:1). Because the "LORD hath done great things for us... we are glad" (126:3). Gospel Salvation, giving us the forgiveness of sins by repentance
and faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, is ample grounds to cause
our emotions to soar in gratitude to God. "Giving
thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our LORD Jesus
Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).
At the same time, we must be careful that the devil does not take advantage of our
emotions, causing us to doubt God. "Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (Psalm 42:5).
If we will only react in faith to whatever range of emotions that may accost us,
our emotions will only cause our hearts to be knit closer and closer to God. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (56:3).
.
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