I was having coffee the other day with a friend who was encountering some things in his life that were causing some concern. He had asked that we might meet and talk through some of the issues, as he understood them. First of all, I was so grateful that this friend wanted to appeal to another listening ear, a co-listener, so to speak, who might reflect with him regarding his experiences. One of the great privileges I have is getting to sit with others and listen with them for the Holy Spirit’s direction. It is a wonderful discipline for me, for my tendency is to want to give advice rather than listen and attend to what the Spirit of God might be doing or saying in a particular circumstance. Most of the time, I believe what I, and those I sit with are hearing is more about the transformation of our lives than it is about the changing of our circumstances. So this spiritual practice of listening together for God’s voice is really very good for me.
As my friend described his situation one of the things the Lord seemed to speak through were the emotions and feelings his circumstances were provoking. So often I find that my emotions and feelings are the hardest thing to recognize, acknowledge and articulate. Unlike physical pain, emotions sometimes are hard to precisely localize and define. Yet emotions and feelings have great power to motivate our behaviors. Part of the work of transformation, I believe, is not ignoring those feelings or emotions, and their inherent power, but acknowledging them so that they might provide further insight into the places of both our brokenness and healing. I find, as I read the Gospels, that Jesus seemed to have a sense of His own emotions and of those around Him. He didn’t ignore the emotions, nor did He let the emotions control His responses. One good example might be when Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. The text shows Jesus experiencing the great emotional turmoil that precedes the crucifixion, to the degree that His sweat appears like drops of blood. Jesus acknowledges those deep emotions to His Father, but then surrenders His will and desire to the will of His heavenly Father. His emotions were not dismissed, but neither did they dictate His course of action. When emotions arise we have an opportunity to recognize those emotions and feelings, whether positive or negative, and then bring them before our heavenly Father for further insight, clarification and most of all transformation. This is especially true in the transformation of our will and desires so that they will more reflect the will and desire of the God the Father.
As you step into these next weeks I pray that you will sense God’s deep care for you in all the various circumstances you encounter and His deep care for the resulting emotions. They are not beyond the scope of what He knows about you. But, as you encounter these emotions, may they also lead you further into prayer, whether it is a cry for mercy, a shout of gratitude, or a request for further clarification and understanding.
In my next post I will continue to share more regarding this enlightening conversation and a further observation which helped me on my journey.
