As a Christian, sometimes your emotions will not be in line with the Holy Spirit. Your Soul will be longing for one thing while your emotions are wanting something else. The Holy Spirit works within us, guiding us, and often our flesh desires the opposite.
We desire the opposite sometimes for the sake of security (who wants to risk being ridiculed like Paul experienced). Sometimes it may be for love ( Samson gave into the beauty of Delilah and fell for her deceiving plan to imprison him). Out of fear, we resist the urge to step out of the boat and risk drowning (as Peter who could not resist the urge to come to Jesus when the stormy sea threatened to kill the disciples).
Two scriptures I feel should be contrasted.
Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Your heart without the trust and acknowledgment of the Lord is deceitful.
Deceitful- Deliberately misleading; deceptive. synonym: dishonest.
The law of sin or law of morality is still very much a presence in the Christian walk. The tempter or evil one we call Satan uses our fallen human nature against us.
So in all our ways, we must seek the wisdom, the council, and guidance of the Lord who will make our paths straight. A path illuminated with light so that we may not fear what is up ahead.
Everyone knows the story Wizard of Oz and the importance of the yellow brick road. The yellow brick road would take Dorothy and her friends to see the Wizard, who supposedly would help Dorothy return home. No other path was going to reach the acquired destination.
We are on the straight and narrow path, but many things along the way try to get us to detour or stop to rest. One sign saying come this way to fulfill your greed, then another pride, another lust, and on and on to try and take your eyes off your destination.
This year to me personally, has been difficult. Not just because of Covid-19 and indifferences in the country, but my wife and I took in two teenage boys who had been abused, starved, and neglected. If I had listened to my emotions, I would have operated in fear of not knowing how bad these kids may have been psychologically. I would not have responded. It was the urging of the Spirit that simultaneously brought my wife and I into a no fear agreement.
It didn't stop there either. Time and time again, we were tested. We felt we needed to leave my church home for 15 years due to unfortunate events. My heart wanted to stay, but my Spirit gave me peace with the words, I need you somewhere else. Be patient.
We tried another church only to find the teen's abusive parents attending the same church, and so we left.
An experience that almost feels like Abraham wandering in a land as a foreigner with the knowledge of a promised land to come. All he simply had to do was walk with God and allow His guidance to prevail.
So remember, even though your heart (emotions, inner self,) may hurt or feel uncomfortable it was Jesus not only allowed the storm temporarily but He who also calmed the wind and the sea. Sometimes the storm must come first before we can appreciate the calming of the soul.
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