Date: 03/27/2023

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. This week “Let us Examine Ourselves and our Internal Feelings”.

As Christians we sometimes struggle with integrating emotion into our spiritual lives and end up falling victim to dangerous tendencies. One danger is emotionalism, in which we allow our feelings to interpret our circumstances and form our thoughts about God. This is putting our feelings before faith. The other danger is a kind of stoicism, where faith is rooted in theology but void of affection. This tendency removes feelings from faith altogether. While it is true that our emotions should not lead our theology, it is vital to our faith that theology lead us to a deep experience of our triune God. We must learn how to live beyond our emotions/feelings. God calls us to learn to manage our emotions and feelings rather than having them manage us. In Paul’s day, the people thought with their hearts and felt with their gut. This is where we get term “gut feeling.” So, when Paul says, “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).  He is saying the problem is being led by our emotions, our emotions are our God, and we take pride in the shameful things we do. Our minds are set on worldly things.”

There are four reasons why we need to learn to deal with how we feel. First, our feelings are unreliable. They can lead us in the wrong direction and down the wrong path. Because not everything we feel is right. We need to learn to manage our emotions/feelings. Proverbs 14:12 says this, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”. So, our emotions are not infallible. The second reason is,  we don’t want to be manipulated. If we don’t control our emotions/feelings, they will control us. If we are always guided by our feelings, we will reject the truth of the Word of God. If  we’re guided by our feelings, others will take advantage of us. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:28, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls”. Not only are we defenseless against manipulation of others, but we are defenseless to the manipulation by our old nature. The sinful nature in us, can use our feelings against us and against the Word of God. I Peter 5:8 says this, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. The third reason we need to control our emotions/feelings is, we want to please God. God cannot be God in our life if emotions/feelings are god in our life. Romans 8:6-8 reads, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So, then they that are in the flesh cannot please God”. Saints, if we obey our human nature, we cannot please God.” The fourth  reason is because we want to succeed in life. In fact, I Peter 4:2 tells us, “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God”. Psalms 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. What is our heart? That is where our emotions are.  Psalms 19:14 reads, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer”. What is inside our heart will come out of our mouth. Jesus said in Matthew 15:11, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 

In closing,  the key is not to pursue our emotions/feelings but pursue the Lord Jesus Christ,  by looking to Him, knowing His ways, pondering His promises, and obeying His commands. And remember, “…With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop