circa: high school days
I feel like as young girls we often buy into this whole thing culture tells us once we get to adolescence. The whole living by our emotions thing. Lets face it, once we are thirteen they are full blown out of control, one minute we feel like falling face down on our beds screaming in frustration and almost sixty seconds later we are bawling like we've experienced the worst experience of our lives. If you were anything like me as a teenager, it took you a little while to get these emotional outbursts under control. I really feel for parents of teenagers right now looking back on those experiences, praise the Lord my mother is an incredibly patient woman.
But as we get older I think we still someone believe culture which tells us to feel how we feel and do what feels right. The thing is, its so far from scriptural truth. I feel its so entirely unhelpful to be told to follow your heart. Even though it sounds wonderful and is often what I want to hear.
'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?'
Jeremiah 17:9
'For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.'
Matthew 15:19
Those truths sound pretty scary to me. They say the total opposite of the media which says go for it, trust your heart. The words in Jeremiah say that my heart will deceive me. That it is capable of evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft and a whole list of things that I certainly wouldn't want in my life. So what's a girl to do? Who do we listen to?
There is hope for us in these words from Proverbs and Psalms. But they do carry an entirely different message for us as young women. In my opinion both of these verses are talking about trusting the Lord, yes even when we don't feel like it. What does that look like? Well, for starters I think trusting Him can mean ignoring our emotions. Yes, I mean that sometimes following our heart can be dangerous for us. We don't have to be slaves to our emotions whenever we get that rush every month and want to scream or feel sorry for ourselves or however they affect us. I'm not saying this is even possible in our own strength. There are often days when I want nothing more than to stay home, sit on the couch and watch Gilmore girls until I'm tired of watching TV. I'm not even saying that is necessarily wrong for us to do.
I think we just don't do ourselves or younger girls a service by using the phrase trust your emotions or follow your heart. So much of following after Jesus involves denying ourselves. Our emotions included. And that is hard, but so worth it in the end. Our emotions trick us,
they make us do things we might even regret or treat other poorly.
There is a daily choice for us. To choice whether we want to follow our heart, our emotions or to follow Jesus. Sometimes the two line up, as the more we know Him and love Him, the more our hearts desires line up with His. But its never safe to just make the assumption that they do.
Some days we have to make a daily choice to choose joy. Something I have been reminding myself on Instagram for a while now. We have to chose to be joyful with where He has us, even if the day doesn't turn out the way we thought. Even if the list of tasks doesn't even get half completed, even if a doctors appointment ends up taking over the entire day, even if our family members drive us crazy.
We make a choice.....to chose to see the blessings. To chose joy.
And you know what, almost all the time......my emotions follow my decision.
circa: college days
'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.'
Proverbs 3:5-7
'Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.'
Psalm 37:4
There is hope for us in these words from Proverbs and Psalms. But they do carry an entirely different message for us as young women. In my opinion both of these verses are talking about trusting the Lord, yes even when we don't feel like it. What does that look like? Well, for starters I think trusting Him can mean ignoring our emotions. Yes, I mean that sometimes following our heart can be dangerous for us. We don't have to be slaves to our emotions whenever we get that rush every month and want to scream or feel sorry for ourselves or however they affect us. I'm not saying this is even possible in our own strength. There are often days when I want nothing more than to stay home, sit on the couch and watch Gilmore girls until I'm tired of watching TV. I'm not even saying that is necessarily wrong for us to do.
I think we just don't do ourselves or younger girls a service by using the phrase trust your emotions or follow your heart. So much of following after Jesus involves denying ourselves. Our emotions included. And that is hard, but so worth it in the end. Our emotions trick us,
they make us do things we might even regret or treat other poorly.
There is a daily choice for us. To choice whether we want to follow our heart, our emotions or to follow Jesus. Sometimes the two line up, as the more we know Him and love Him, the more our hearts desires line up with His. But its never safe to just make the assumption that they do.
Some days we have to make a daily choice to choose joy. Something I have been reminding myself on Instagram for a while now. We have to chose to be joyful with where He has us, even if the day doesn't turn out the way we thought. Even if the list of tasks doesn't even get half completed, even if a doctors appointment ends up taking over the entire day, even if our family members drive us crazy.
We make a choice.....to chose to see the blessings. To chose joy.
And you know what, almost all the time......my emotions follow my decision.
