The other Sunday the pastor said something that made me think he was speaking directly to me.
“Play in the dust like Jesus.”
He was telling us the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman (John 8:2-11). He pointed out that despite all the emotions that must have been in that room Jesus remained calm. He didn't even look the woman's accusers in the eye. He didn't even stand. He stooped down and drew in the dust.
That speaks volumes and teaches us so much. No one knows what he was drawing in the dust, but that isn't the important thing. What we can learn here is how he was calm and quiet during what must have been a heated debate.
See this spoke to me because I have this problem with jumping. I ride right along side my emotions. Don't get me wrong I try so hard to fight and stay in control, but I lose. So when he said he had his eyes down and said very little I wondered why I couldn't be more like Jesus. Dispute all the emotions around him he stayed in control.
Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). To “be still” is to be quiet in God’s presence. To stay calm and not react. To trust he has it all under control. To stoop down and play in the dust.
A good rule of life is to always think and feel before you decide to say or do anything of significance. live by the Spirit and “keep in step with the Spirit” who bears in us his fruit of love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:16-24).
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24 Sometimes we must resist acting on a feeling (e.g., lust, anger, desire for alcohol), exercising self-control
When I put emotions in the heart, not the mind or the gut, it compels me to act on whatever I feel! Which leads me to make of unwise decisions, react with hurtful behavior. Sin. All because I acted on how I felt. When we are governed by our feelings they toss us up and down a piece of driftwood on the waves of the sea. We are blown about and more apt to follow the wrong advisers and causing more pain the anything.
To keep from being blown about I have been reminding myself to stop, stoop down, and play in the dirt like Jesus. No matter what my feelings are telling me I will take the time to strengthen my union with the Lord. I will put on all the armor that God gives me, so that I will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks.– Ephesians 6:10-11
Stand with me and ask God to guard our emotions. To remember our emotions are nothing more then gauge, not guide they are meant to report not dictate. Take stock of what you feel and take a look at where your first instinct is to turn. It should be the Lord. It should be your instinct to say, ‘No! I have the mind of Christ, I am redeemed and you can’t have me today Satan.”
When I want to run with my emotions I am guilty of picking up that stone.I’m ready to punish just like her accusers. I want justice, explanation, I want results, I want, I want, I want. This is where I need to stop. I need to refuse to get on that roller coaster. I need to tell Satan NO! I will not let him lead me. I will be lead by the King. I will stop, lower my eyes, stoop down, and play in the dust. Let the testing of my faith continue.
How about you? Do you get in line for that ride or do you refuse to let your emotions take you for a spin?
