I am absolutely sick and tired of searching myself for holy feelings and signs of life. I'm sucked into this peeing on a stick cyclone and I want off! I'm getting nauseous! (Ask Jamie what peeing on a stick means).
I'm having a mocha latte right now and caffeine usually puts me in a good mood. A mood to express myself.
No, but seriously. I usually have this constant underlying anxiety of questioning my sincerity and checking myself by examining my feelings and desires and making sure they're holy. And guess what? Feelings are very fragile! Putting faith in experiences or feelings is an excellent way to squander your peace and joy in the faith of Jesus Christ.
Always examining yourself to check and see whether or not you have loving feelings for the lost or for the brethren isn't the best idea. If we want to test ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith, which Scripture people take out of context. Paul was simply being sarcastic towards Corinthians who had started to suspect Paul of being false. But anyway...If you do want to test yourself and see if you're in the faith...Look to the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therein lies your foundation. There is your assurance. He is your foundation and there is no other! The enemy's neverending strategy is to get our eyes off of Jesus and onto ourselves somehow. He never ever points us to the love of God or to the grace of God. He always points to you. He seeks to exalt himself, not God. He tries to get you to do the same. To get you to fall the same way he did. We feel the urge, the undying passion of the flesh to have SOMETHING to boast about, but there is no boasting!
I know it seems too easy and too simple and it's easy to play "what if" games. But God's commandment is simply to trust in His Son. His Son who was pleasing to Him. He that believes is not condemned. But he that does not believe is condemned already.
So then..don't you think the enemies main strategy would be to hinder your faith? Faith is what it's all about, not works! If he can get your mind off of Christ, then he has stolen your faith.
"We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting Rock!" - Isaiah 26:1-4
2 comments:
Lovely; I'll be remembered for my peeing on a stick analogy... :)
It is sooooooo applicable, though.
Resting comes from the acceptance that we're totally, unconditionally loved yet our thoughts, feelings, and logic argue against a Love so great...
I like what you're saying here, Matt; we need to trust Him to draw our gaze and capture and keep our focus. Love overcomes distrust, doubt, and insecurity. Let God love on you for a while, right?
Feeling better????
RJW,
What a great epitaph you'll have some day!
Matthew,
That's so true... feelings are very fragile! They change and they are up and down despite our solid standing in Christ. So true, also what you say here, that when we feel we're performing well the flesh has the urge to boast in that. And on the other side of the same coin the flesh can be so introspective and "aware" of its shortcomings, and that really takes away from what it's all about - faith.
I love that verse from Isaiah that you shared at the end!
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