Emotions. They are ever changing. Always making us happy, sad, angry, confused, hurt, ecstatic..in constant rotation. I am here to express to you, the reader and myself more than anyone, to not let emotions direct our relationship with God. However, letting our emotions direct our relationship and showing God our emotions are two very different things. Let me show you- letting our emotions direct the relationship would look a little something like this:
Happy: God you are amazing!
Mad: I am not in the mood to talk to God right now!
Sad: ugh! I am way too distressed to talk to God right now, I just need to isolate and cry!
Busy: I am way too busy to make time for you right now God.
Anxious: I need to get my mind occupied by something to take my mind off of this, so I will binge watch my favorite funny t.v. show.
Well now, that wasn’t a very pretty picture, was it? No matter the mood, we had an excuse as to why we couldn’t talk to God or make time for him. Let me show you what showing and sharing our emotions with God looks like:
Happy: God I want to thank you for giving me joy today! I praise you!
Mad: God, I am so angry right now and I just want you to step in and take this from me. I don’t want to hold on to bitterness, please help me.
Sad: God, I want you to step in and give me joy. Show me there is good in this situation. I ask for peace.
Busy: Doing the dishes: Singing praises! Playing with the kids: Singing songs of joy and praise and worship! Exercising: God your mercies are new every morning! I praise you! (in other words, worship in your busy times!) Anxious: God, you said in your word that you are not a God of confusion or anxiety or fear and so in the midst of my hard time, I give you glory and honor and ask that you would bring me peace!
Did you see the difference? Emotions can get in the way and keep us from giving God the time, glory, or praise OR we can take our emotions to the God who can give us what we need no matter what we are going through and be uplifted, encouraged, brought to peace and joy. I don’t know about you today, but I can tell you that everyday is different for me. I don’t always wake up happy and cheerful. Sometimes I wake up angry for no reason, or I get upset more easily on some days than others. But, if we were to wake up each morning and give our days to God, he will order our steps and no matter what may come, whether it be sadness, joy, fear, lust, anxiety, anger, we can give that emotion to God and he will step in for our cause.
Let me bring you to the story of Jesus when he chose to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights. In Matthew 4:1-11 we can read of this story when God led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. Jesus was hungry and tired. He was alone. He was tempted to turn stones into bread. Do you think that during this time, he wasn’t feeling some emotions welling up inside of him? That he wasn’t feeling temptation to just make some food and feed his flesh. That when the devil starts talking to him and tempting him, that he didn’t want to just punch him and get angry? Do you think it was easy for him to instead of doing those things, turn to God and pray? No! It was just as hard for him as it is for us to find peace in our times of stress and hand it all over to God. To stop in our times of darkness, and choose to look for the light that is God. To stop in our times of anguish and wondering where our next meal will come from, and remind ourselves that God clothed the lilies of the valley and feeds the birds of the air and that he will do the same for us! It is not easy! But it is necessary. In order for us to keep a running relationship with God and one that is not dictated by how we feel, we must try to keep our emotions out of it and instead take our emotions to God in order for him to direct us and lead us, heal us, keep us. So, today, I ask you, I implore you, to talk with God, no matter how you’re feeling in your day, go to him anyways. Ask him for help, ask him to be your light, your guide. I guarantee, he will be the answer you are looking for.
He gives us roots so we can fly. Roots and Wings.
