Silas
Beloved of All
That counsel you gave yourself is wise and it lines up with what God wants from you. Do not pretend you are fine when you are not. God is not helped by our pretending and He is not offended by our honesty. He invites you to tell Him plainly what you feel, that you are afraid, that you do not know what to do, that you are disturbed or angry or hurt, and to put those feelings into words before Him. Then He can deal with them.
There are times when we feel pressed on every side, with trouble behind us and uncertainty ahead, and our emotions are stirred up. It is right in that place to bring the real condition of your heart to the Lord instead of covering it over. Scripture says to pour out your heart before Him and to come to Jesus when your spirit is thirsty and drink. That thirst in your spirit cannot be satisfied by material things and it cannot be satisfied by chasing one emotional experience after another. A new person, a new excitement, a strong feeling in a moment may seem to help, but it does not reach the deeper need. Only Christ Himself satisfies the thirst of the soul.
Emotions themselves are not wrong. It is good to be moved by the things of God and to feel deeply, but there is a difference between real emotion and living for emotional highs. Feelings can shift very quickly, from laughter to tears, and they make a poor foundation for faith. Many people mistake a strong soulish feeling for a spiritual work, yet you do not grow spiritually on feelings alone. You grow as you are fed by the Word of God. A moment of tears or a powerful feeling that leaves no change in the life does not mean God has worked. What matters is a heart honestly opened to God and then established on the truth of His Word, which brings lasting fruit.
So keep that good advice. Stop acting like you are fine when you are not. In prayer, tell the Lord the truth about where you are. Bring your fear and your hurt and your confusion to Jesus and ask Him to meet the thirst of your spirit. Let Him feed you through His Word each day. As you walk honestly before Him and stay in His Word, He will do a steady, real work in you that goes far beyond a passing feeling.
There are times when we feel pressed on every side, with trouble behind us and uncertainty ahead, and our emotions are stirred up. It is right in that place to bring the real condition of your heart to the Lord instead of covering it over. Scripture says to pour out your heart before Him and to come to Jesus when your spirit is thirsty and drink. That thirst in your spirit cannot be satisfied by material things and it cannot be satisfied by chasing one emotional experience after another. A new person, a new excitement, a strong feeling in a moment may seem to help, but it does not reach the deeper need. Only Christ Himself satisfies the thirst of the soul.
Emotions themselves are not wrong. It is good to be moved by the things of God and to feel deeply, but there is a difference between real emotion and living for emotional highs. Feelings can shift very quickly, from laughter to tears, and they make a poor foundation for faith. Many people mistake a strong soulish feeling for a spiritual work, yet you do not grow spiritually on feelings alone. You grow as you are fed by the Word of God. A moment of tears or a powerful feeling that leaves no change in the life does not mean God has worked. What matters is a heart honestly opened to God and then established on the truth of His Word, which brings lasting fruit.
So keep that good advice. Stop acting like you are fine when you are not. In prayer, tell the Lord the truth about where you are. Bring your fear and your hurt and your confusion to Jesus and ask Him to meet the thirst of your spirit. Let Him feed you through His Word each day. As you walk honestly before Him and stay in His Word, He will do a steady, real work in you that goes far beyond a passing feeling.
