Monday, August 5, 2013

Taking Root 2

Matthew 13:20 “As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy” [Amplified Bible].

This is an example of a person who began in the emotional joy of the Word and in his decision to change his life. But a person has continued to live in the emotions of his experience and his new found Christian friends. A person does little about the hard demands of Christ that come only through diligent study and prayer. A person knows little about sacrificial obedience: “Study to show thyself approved” (2Tim.2:15).
           
The word emotional is an important word to know as a Christian. The word, emotion means a strong feeling like excitement; 2: a mental reaction like an anger or fear marked by strong feeling and usually causing physical effects. The other word, emotional means relating to the emotions like an emotional upset; 2: likely to show or express emotion: easily moved like an emotional person. [Merriam-Webster]

The emotional issue talked about a person who always lives on his or her feelings. It would be interested to learn this because many Christians depend on the “feelings.” Is this a good thing? Feeling is a broad subject so let’s focus on a person who depends on feelings all the times. A person who depends on the feelings all the times may not be a reliable person to trust to. An emotional person is up and down.

Why? Like Jesus said, “Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away” [Matt.13:21 AMP].

Living on feelings set apart from a person who depends on beliefs in the Word of God and a disciplined life. Once I depend on feelings when I thought God was leading me, but those feelings has gotten me into troubles. Why? If I had a strong belief in God’s Word against my feelings, I would not have gotten into troubles or problems. So the answer is having a strong faith to stand on God’s Word often gives me peace. The feelings are often set aside.

“I hate this person and he or she is giving me a hard time. I can’t stand it.” Doesn’t this sound like a person with a feeling of hatred? Where is God’s love in this? Didn’t the book of John tell us that we are to love our brethren? Didn’t Jesus tell us “to love our enemies? Do good to them that hate us? Bless them that give us hard time? These are “the root” that Jesus was talking about, His Word.

So let’s study His Word and take a deeper root in Him!

Dorothy

No comments: