Have you ever been in a quiet intimate time with the Lord? You know, where you feel so close that it leads you into real and warm personal exchange of words from your heart to His. It's a place I try to come to in the Lord as often as possible. They are awesome but don't last forever.
You come out of that special place - your prayer closet and soon run into your spouse or children or friend or coworker and boom - you are thrust back in the midst of the day-to-day rigors of life! I almost have to laugh at times like this.
You can feel so close to God - so intimate with Him and lost in His presence and then suddenly life hits.
I was up while it was still dark this morning on my morning run. I was praying while I was running. I was praying for my family. I was praying for all of you. I was praying for wife Renee.
I came into the house having had a great run and spending time with the Lord. After you pray for someone, you somehow always feel closer to them. I had been thinking about how much I loved my wife Renee and was praying for her. I came into the house feeling that way.
About three minutes after I was home, I heard someone in the kitchen. It still wasn't light out and I was surprised that anyone was up. I went to see who it was. It was Renee. I asked her what she was doing up so early.
She said, "I heard the door slam and it woke me up." I told her that I didn't slam the door. I just closed it normal purposely trying not to make noise.
She said, "It sounded like a slam and it woke me up." I said "Oh, sorry," and walked away. I was bothered about it for one minute. I didn't slam the door but she has fabulous hearing and to her, it was enough to wake her up.
She was tired and possibly a little upset. So much for that special and intimate feeling from praying for her.
That is my point. Feelings are so fickle and fleeting. The slightest little comment can bother us or move us to another feeling. If we let it, it can begin to redirect our day - possibly from good to bad.
We can't afford to let our emotions be that fickle. Our soul - our mind and emotions have to be under the control of our human spirit directed by God's Spirit.
We are a spirit, a soul, and a body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Our spirit is to take lead over our soul - our mind and emotions, and definitely over our body or flesh, which too often gravitates to what every feels good (or tastes good.)
When we let our spirit be trained in how to think, how to respond, and how to act, then when our emotions want to go to places they shouldn't, such as offense, discouragement, depression, loneliness, self-pity, etc., we can let our spirit redirect those emotions to follow the instruction and promise of God's Word. He always lifts us to a better place.
We have to face many circumstances and situations each and every day. Some are great and some are not so great. We can't afford to be emotional yo-yo's, happy one minute and mad or depressed the next.
People do not like to be around people that are that way. They avoid them. They don't want to work for them. They don't like being married to them. No one likes to have to walk on eggshells around a person because they don't know what their emotional state is going to be in the next five minutes.
You learn to be strong in the Lord by standing strong on the promises of God. You set your heart on them. You set your emotions on them. You put your trust in Him and them. You set your prayer on them.
While you do, the devil will throw fiery darts at you to spark you into mayhem. You remember the Apostle Paul's words to the body of Christ. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the strategies of the devil" (Eph. 6:10).
Renee wasn't trying to ruin my special place with God this morning. She simply got woken up by something I did. She wasn't mad at me. She was simply answering my question from her perspective. She didn't act mad but if she had been, I would have understood.
I wouldn't have been sucked into an argument about how hard I shut the door. I would not and did not let the devil steal my close time with God or the special love I have for my wife.
As the beginning scripture says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."
When you become strong in the Lord and keep your heart fixed on His love, you lose the emotional ups and downs and become steady in Him!
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Timothy Burt is a pastor, author, and writer. He is best known as the author of Fresh Manna, a daily devotional and online Bible study.
