My little brother makes me laugh.
He is a teenager now, almost 16. (Which I find terrifying and slightly gross– because it makes me feel exceptionally old.) My little bro is a sophomore in high school at the time of this writing, has a girlfriend (AH!) and a mechanically wired brain. (He recently re-built the transmission of his truck after watching one YouTube video. What?)
Anywho, as awkward as this boy/man is, I love him to pieces. And even though he is growing up, some of his antics still make me laugh.
A few weeks ago, he was doing some Food Science homework assigned by my good friend/college roommate Kayla (known to most in our hometown community as Mrs. Taylor.) It was very science-y and one of the questions was “List one item that doesn’t have matter.”
(For those of us who haven’t been in science class for a hot minute, matter is typically a physical substance that occupies space and possesses mass.)
So back to the question at hand: “List one thing that doesn’t have matter.” Little bro scratched his head for a bit, then approached my mom for help. They started brainstorming, and suddenly he blurted out, “EMOTIONS! Emotions don’t have matter.”
Sigh. Leave it to a teenage boy to say that emotions don’t matter. #seewhatIdidthere? (And yes, I know I am generalizing that dudes aren’t big fans of emotions. But when I told my hubs about this and he responded with a hearty AMEN, I thought it was a semi-valid assumption to make.)
Although he was correct in stating that emotions aren’t a form of matter, in real life emotions/feelings DO matter. They play a large role in how we live our everyday lives and react to certain situations.
With that thought in mind, I would like to introduce to you a new series that we will be exploring the next several Mondays: Feelings & Faith.
Unfortunately, many hardcore Christians seem to think that feelings are BAD. “If you are grounded in your faith, your feelings shouldn’t matter.” Yeah, no. What we really should be saying is that our feelings can’t DRIVE our faith. Our faith should be the engine of our life train and feelings are the caboose. Feelings exist, they are attached to our lives/circumstances, but they don’t drive our lives.
Over the next several weeks, we will be looking at different feelings and seeing just how they fit into the Christian life. And who better to study in our feelings/faith debate than Jesus? He will be our primary example to see how feelings should play into our faith-life and just how to make sure our faith impacts our feelings, not the other way around.
I am not gonna lie– I am pretty stoked for this new series. Although I am not sure where this will go, I do look forward to digging deep and seeking a heart transformation that glorifies God. In all honesty, when things get tough, I would love for my heart to spew faith first instead of reacting with unbridled emotions (then clamoring at my faith to pick up the pieces.)
What are your thoughts on the new series? Any definite feelings you would like me to explore from the perspective of Christ? I welcome your feedback… So go ahead and leave a comment. (Click here if you are reading via email.)
I so hope you are looking forward to this series… I know I am. And I am confident that God will place some pretty suh-weet revelations in our lives in the process.
Even though science says emotions don’t have matter, God does acknowledge that feelings DO matter. So bring your smiles, tears and frustrations as we dig into discovering just how Jesus wants to us to live out our feelings and faith.
Feeling the faith,
“So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.” ~Philippians 1:9-11 MSG
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Linking up today with Michelle via Hear it Sunday~Use it Monday, Laura at Playdates with God, Joan’s Beauty in His Grip, Inspire me Monday, and Miscellany Monday. Oh! And be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
