“The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” ~Matt 13:44
That verse was read this morning in a sermon on the feelings of the heart. I was so moved by the sermon this morning that I really felt the need to share some of it. To kind of give you a better of idea of what it was about, I’ll throw some statements out there.
I don’t feel like being all that productive today.
I’ve lounged around this afternoon because I didn’t feel like writing this blog right away.
I don’t always feel like reading my bible.
Now, does anything change because of how I feel? One way the speaker this morning put it was this: Kids say it all the time, “Mom, I don’t feel like going to school today.” And what is the mom going to say, “I don’t care how you feel, you’re going to school.” The child still needs to go to school, despite his desire to. If the child had it his way, his actions would be dictated by his feelings. But the mother, knowing what was best for him, made the correct decision for him. Do we, no mother standing next to us, do the same? How do feelings affect our walk? Trusting our feelings, our heart alone, can lead to us to make the wrong choices. We must know when to keep them in check and when to press on despite them.
Should feelings be part of our walk?
Yes, they should. God does not require just our mind. God does not require just our body. God does not require just our heart. God requires all of us. God requires all we have.
“If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I have nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” ~1 Cor 13:1-3
What does that tells us? Feelings are part of who we are. Our heart is an essential piece of the puzzle. Works for the Kingdom are nothing without our heart. That leads us to the topic of joy.
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place–unless you repent.” ~Rev 2:1-5
The church at Ephesus was doing all the right things, but their hearts were not in it. God doesn’t want us do things for Him without our heart. As selfish beings, there will be many times when we have to get past the feeling of not wanting to do something and chose to die to ourselves. In that, we will lack joy. However, think about a time when you’ve done that. Did you not feel that joy while or after..because you chose to do die to yourself?? When we are choosing to serve God with all we are, and even when we don’t feel like stepping up to the plate but do it anyways, we will feel that joy.
Feelings should not be the only things that move us. We should move even when we don’t feel like it, so that we can learn to feel what is true. Our heart can move in the way if we let it, but instead our heart should be yet another way we move for Him.
Dear Lord,
I know I’m selfish. I don’t know if I could even count the times a day that I put myself before you. You see the little times, You see the big times, and You still love me. God I offer you all that I am. God I offer you all that I have, my heart, body, and mind. Let me, Father, not be run by my heart but instead let my heart run for you. Be my center Lord, every day and in every way. God I love you. I thank you for every supporter, family, and friend that you have used in my life. Bless them Father, let them see the fruit of following Your call to step out in support. I pray this is your generous, faithful, and loving name. Amen.
