Here's a thought. What if having our emotions validated isn't His main concern? Do I believe our Father loves us and aches when we are hurting? Why, yes, I do. Does He rage at the enemy of our souls? Absolutely. But what if all these feelings and perspectives and opinions that no one else understands are actually existing only in a carnal reality that really only holds us back from the Kingdom reality that we are invited to live in every single day?
We can hold out for miracles, yes. Why not just abandon those too? We can keep praying for reconciled relationships and righted wrongs. But could there be a more excellent Way? What if we were transformed truly into the image of His likeness? What if we became so enraptured by Him and His purposes that the things of earth truly became strangely dim?
I wonder if we could ask Him to simply help us to "set aside" these encumbrances so that we could move forward in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called, as true Spirit-beings, communing with Him, worshiping Him with our every breath, shedding His light and His water on a lost and dying world.
J.
"But what if all these feelings and perspectives and opinions that no one else understands are actually existing only in a carnal reality that really only holds us back from the Kingdom reality that we are invited to live in every single day?"
ReplyDeleteJ, I loved your thoughts here, thanks.
Is it possible that these (as you put it) “feelings and perspectives and opinions, are actually existing only in a carnal reality” are there as a divine tension in our lives that are allowed by our Father, and is in fact using them to establish us in the Truth, i.e. the Word being fleshed out in us as us, i.e. learning to over come out of knowing the Overcoming One in us?
Without having a choice before us, the things you listed vs the truth of Whose we are, where is there any further possibility to overcome, ergo, no more this side of heaven, transformation within our fragmented soul!
Apart from an intuitive knowing (every word coming from the heart of our Father) of Whose we are is it any wonder where we have along with multitudes of others become at best POW, statistics and as you said, “that really only holds us back from the Kingdom reality that we are invited to live in every single day.”
when we can love like He does, i think all other things will fall away - and we take ourselves out of the equation and just want to see people reconciled to papa, and not to ourselves. when we want those things, it is very likely because of a 'validation' which we need to feel more secure... instead of nurturing those that don't. i think it is a process.
ReplyDeleteEmotions exist... don't they sort of validate themselves in that regard?
ReplyDeleteI like to look at emotions as a sixth sense... or maybe seventh, I can't recall all the renaming of senses I've done over the years, but an additional sense nonetheless in that they can be utilized to sharpen perspective, but like all of the senses, they must be harnessed by reason (which I like to look at as a sort of over-seeing sense) and spirit (not necessarily in that order) because all of the senses are easily deceived. Still, emotions, like sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch (add reason if you like, I do) assist in enriching our total life experience and are endowed upon us by our creator for that purpose; to better love and worship God, through Jesus, as we've been made to do.
There is certainly a carnality to emotions, but Jesus demonstrated emotion a number of times. Jesus wept. Jesus raged. We love to picture Jesus laughing when the children came to him as that popular painting depicts. Jesus lived his life complete as a human being, which for most includes emotions, and when he encountered those lacking a particular sense, he healed them, probably for a reason.
I think the problem is the perceived need for validation. Rather than allowing an emotion to exist and be experienced as the sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and scents of the world exist and are experienced, we elevate them to greater (in)significance.
Just a rambling thought, far from complete, but too long already. Sorry.
Interesting.. I like what you wrote Foster. Yes I said it, Foster. Didn't think I had it in me. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis brings up the scene in the Shack when Sarayu is out in the garden with Mac. Mac's looking around at this wild mass of garden and all he can see is it's complexity, the randomness in the midst of it's beauty. However, Sarayu's perspective was so different. It didn't seem like a mess. It was exhilarating beauty.
There's this sentence that She says."And well you should, Mackenzie, because this garden is your soul. This mess is you! Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive - a living fractal."
For me this is how I see my heart - a mess of emotion, of opinions, of beliefs.. the list goes on but Papa finds my challenge exhilarating. He loves transforming me. I think they do hold us back Yannah, just like you said. I guess that's why He's so set on 'gardening' our souls. I see it in a way that he's redeeming our emotions. Pulling them from the mire of our past that shape a lot of how we perceive Him, situation and others. So that through His healing touch our emotions become now a brilliant light that pour out of us in beautiful shades. I think of it as my true beauty. When my emotions are free from my PAST. When they are flowing and vibrant in the PRESENT. I don't think He would've created us to be such complex emotional beings otherwise.
LOL Laurie, I think this is my very long winded way of saying exactly what you wrote.
:)
I loved all of your comments here! Such richness. I believe we can manifest HIM in the natural with every fiber ~ and if our emotions are a sense, or a way that we respond to whatever comes at us, then I think being lost in Him is the best place to be. Seeing things through Him will bring such a different perspective, and therefore such a different response. I believe that, as the world watches us respond so differently, they will begin to know that there is something about this King that is the answer to everything . . .
ReplyDeletewell Jenny, at least it wasn't me writing the essay this time LOL!
ReplyDeletei think it is funny how differently we see our hearts! I see my heart as a canvas brimming with all of these vibrant colors lol...however, I am growing less and less concerned with how i see my heart, and more intent on knowing how he views me - and the same for other ppl. I want to know, how do you view this person?
it is just a totally different experience when we stop looking at people as how we see them, and begin to ask, 'Papa reveal your heart for this person to me.'
I see your latest post, Jan, going hand in hand with this one. If we stay in the TRUTH 'parking lot' then these emotions that we experience would be filtered through the TRUTH.
ReplyDeleteI think we can experience our emotions correctly and incorrectly.
Correctly, when we are living in Him, seeing Him, believing Him, knowing Him. Then, I wonder, if the emotions that we would react with would be His! What a beautiful thought to me ...
That, I His chosen vessel, would be so in Him, that His emotions would be mine. That my mind, linked to His, sees what He does. That, my heart, being held by His, would feel things that He does. That my very person, being covered by Him, would react the way He does.
We are invited every day to lie with Him as Jesus did ... I meant to write 'live' there, but I love the picture that the word 'lie' bubbles up.
I think that is the key Foster, (I gave in as well) are we living for ourselves ... reacting our way? Or are we living the invitation, to be completely joined to Him?