One of the greatest lessons I learned, while writing the book, “Take Every Thought Captive” is: feelings are great indicators, but lousy masters.
There is only one Master, Father God. There is only one truth, The Word of God. There is only one guide to our life, Holy Spirit. There is only one Savior, Jesus Christ.
Feelings often overexert as masters, dictating how we respond. The “master of feelings” tells us to find our own solutions, come to our own answers, and handle it quickly…
Kelly, you need to fix the stressful situation…search the internet.
Kelly, jump in and make sure everyone is okay…speak up.
Kelly, you need to handle your fear by getting to the bottom of things.
As a result, we move to fast action, quick responses, or with human reasoning, when Father God may be saying, “Be Still. Wait on me. Pray.”
Paul told the Corinthian church, “I may have to be very bold with those who think we act from purely human motives.” (2 Cor. 10:2). He went on to say, “The trouble with you is you make your decision based on appearance.” (2 Cor. 10:7)
How often do we do the same thing? We feel a thing so we do a thing… We think a thing so we react to something… We realize a thing and feel the burden to handle everything.
Do we consult God on what His Word has to say?
Do we pray and find God’s way?
Do we seek and seek again, trusting to find?
Eph. 5:17 is one of my favorite verses: “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
Waiting on the Lord can feel like sitting around and doing nothing. But, while we are still, He is fighting for us. While we are waiting on Him, He may be working on others. While we are trusting Him, He is giving us the wisdom to walk on the straight path, rather than the windy one.
No situation is hopeless or helpless.
“There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.” (Prov. 23:18)
I guess it comes down to—will we really believe Him to work in the absence of our fast-moving work?
Prayer: Father, I acknowledge before you that I am quick to act and to react. Father, I ask for your grace to pause, to ask, to seek, and to knock. I ask that you would open new doors, and ways, and means up to me as I do so. Give me such a grace on my life to seek wisdom before I speak quick solutions. Give me power to ask you, before I go by my natural mind. I want to be wise, discerning, understanding, and knowledgeable about your ways. Grow me in them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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