Our emotions serve a purpose in our human experience. We all experience anger, sadness, happiness, joy, anxiety, fear, etc. It is a part of life and being a human. Most of us live our lives based on how we feel. We make decisions from our hearts. I am not talking about our thumpers, but by heart I mean the seat of our emotions. Heart or soul is our mind, will, and emotions. It is from this place that we make our biggest decisions. We decide the biggest moments of our lives sometimes by a feeling. Every now and then the decision may work out in our favor. When that happens, it is great. However, living life directed by gut feelings and emotions has the possibility of leading to disaster. Our emotions and feelings are always strong, and they feel so right. Let us see what the Word of God has to say about our heart.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all. Who can know it? Think about that. That means that the owner of the heart can be deceived by it. As we navigate life, the Spirit of God must govern our actions, thoughts, and responses. Have you woken up angry for no reason? Or have you ever been going about your day and suddenly feel sad or depressed? You may feel sad, angry, depressed, or even lustful. Instead of taking a step back and asking ourselves why am I feeling this way? I was not angry before bed. I saw this woman or man, and now I have an overwhelming urge to have sex. Now is the time to question everything. Ask yourself where did this thought come from? Is this thought or the action that I am thinking about doing in alignment with the Word of God? If it is not, you know it is not from God.
Here is another scenario. Your husband, wife, or even a friend does something that angers you. You are fully within your right to be angry. You feel deep inside the justification to tell them off with very colorful words, or to take some other action in your anger. Remember what the Lord said to the Prophet Jeremiah. The heart is deceitful above not some things, but above all and desperately wicked. Our emotions and what we feel can never be trusted apart from the Word of God. Ever. The very next verse in Jeremiah 17, says,
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10
The Lord searches our hearts for intent, motive, consideration, and reason. He also tests and examines the core, the innermost part of a person, their secret self. To give every man according to his ways (moral action and character), and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds and practices).
For any thought that comes to our mind, or any actions that we decide to take that is not vetted, governed, or midwifed through the Word of God should be stopped with the utmost prejudice. Take a step back, breathe, and let the Holy Spirit with in you guide you. It is ok to be angry, but do not sin in your anger. Let the peace of God that you carry within you come over you. Let me be clear, it is not a magical feeling that overrides your emotion, you must intentionally confess and practice the peace of God that is a fruit of the Spirit and our inheritance that Jesus left us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22
Also, the Master said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
Preachers have said we have peace, but how do I access it amid anger, frustration, and sadness? How do I have this peace that Jesus says that I have? What the preachers have neglected to tell us is that it takes a right frame of mind and spirit. It takes not only an upright mind, but you must be living right. You cannot be in the streets stealing, lying, fornicating, cheating on your wife or husband and then expect the peace of God to be upon you. God is not a dummy. His heavenly provision demands your earthly change.
There are three areas that are necessary for the peace of God to have dominion in your life.
Number 1, you must be born again/saved according to Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9
Number 2 is commitment.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
All of God, requires all of you. We can hold nothing back from Him.
Number 3, you must be submitted. A disciple’s life is a life of submission to the living God. The Apostle James says,
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7.
The prerequisite to resist the devil and his fleeing is your submission. Without your submission to the Lord and his Word, the devil is free to kill, steal, and destroy your life. It is not a magical formula and a mysterious cloud of peace that falls upon us. Everything in the Kingdom of God requires our faith and participation. The Father does not require us to toil, but we must put forth effort and purposeful intent.
Jesus said it this way, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:29-30
The burden that you feel, the anxiety, the heaviness of what you may be carrying is an indicator that you are not yoked to Christ or carrying his burden. And when your heart tells you that this is not working and depression, anger, or frustration comes into your heart to lead you, take a step back. Your own heart and emotions cannot lead you in the will of God. For the just shall live by faith, not by your emotions, not by this gut feeling, not by the difficulties and vicissitudes of life. Live by the Spirit of God. Well, how do I do that? John 6:63, Jesus said, “the words that I speak to are Spirit and they are life.” Live your life by the Word of God. This is the way to walk in peace. It takes time, it takes effort, but keep pushing. God can never fail.
