What is the foundation upon which you live your life? Do your emotions rule your mind, or does your mind rule your emotions? Do your daily decisions flow from how you feel, or from a heart aligned with who God says you are and what He wants for and from you?
If we spent any meaningful time together, you’d know my faith guides and drives me. It demands that my love for God and for other people is at the forefront, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is my #1 personal value to strive toward. Every second of every minute of every day is spent working toward that end. Even though I often fall short, that’s my goal.
Some days are harder than others. Why? Because it feels like I’m swimming against the cultural current. Dominant culture suggests feelings should chart our course. A new religion has formed, centered around us, ourselves, and our feelings. This religion is very attractive because it caters to our emotions and egos. It gives us full reign to our natural expressions, our authentic selves, to be who we are without constraints or consideration that we are born of God.
Such raw passion, as evidenced lately, is never so useful as in groups. It turns herds into stampedes used for destruction. When feelings, not thoughts – when our spirits, not His – drive us, mobs soon become monstrous.
Here are some carefully crafted half-truths this new religion uses to stir and incite:
- Feelings define us. Who we are is how we feel, not what we believe or who we belong to.
- Emotions happen. Emotions are what happens to us, and we cannot actually fight them or train them.
- Emotions interpret reality. Emotions are the lens through which reality is seen, never vice versa. Therefore, reality is relative to our emotional state.
- Love is a label. Love is the crown jewel of all feelings and a label to be stamped on what was once highly objectionable.
Living as a contrarian is not easy. Fighting conformity to the pattern of this world feels like running the back half of a marathon in the heat of summer. While not easy, we have access to a Helper.
If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior, then the Holy Spirit, who resides within you, is greater than anyone or anything in the world. That’s right. You have as your Advocate the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Just think about the unparalleled power required for the resurrection, and how He makes that same energy available to you.
In Galatians 5:22-23, we learn about the “fruit of the Spirit,” which refers to the character and conduct produced by the Holy Spirit. These are qualities that we can’t consistently generate on our own. The most powerful message we can give isn’t a sermon, but the way we live our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. Especially during the Christmas season, the world doesn’t need more festive decorations or empty songs. Instead, it needs to witness godly families loving one another, businesspeople working with integrity and frugality, and believers serving their neighbors.
By displaying peace instead of anxiety, patience instead of frustration, kindness instead of bullying, and gentleness instead of harshness, we demonstrate how our character aligns with the Holy Spirit’s character. The most powerful gospel message doesn’t necessarily come from a pulpit; it comes from wherever you work, live, and relax because the Holy Spirit’s power is within you. During the next few weeks and into 2025, be mindful of the message you convey through your words and actions.
MindWolves 