Desires

This morning I was thinking, I know surprise, but seriously...

This one is confusing and I think people miss it, because it is not really explained or at least I have not heard it explained. I know, Geoff get to the point... I want to be clear that I don't know the answers to this all, nor do I understand it all, I am just putting my thoughts down on paper.

Our heart is a complex structure, it both feels and drives us. It can control us, our heart generally is our driving factor, it is based on feelings. We do things because it warms our hearts, we want to get that warm feeling. We also don't do things, because we don't get that feeling anymore. Our heart is based on feelings. For example marriage, when hard times hit, our heart says run away, hide, protect yourself, don't give more, go find something that will not hurt. I believe our hearts are based on human emotions and desires. If you read about divorce these days, the reasons are because I stopped loving him or he stopped loving me. See that is the crux of the problem, they base their desires on the heart.

Love is  a choice, serving God is a choice. When we first fall in love, we are basing it on feelings, when we first fall in love with God we base it on feelings. It feels good, we work at it, we strive to be the best, we listen and spend time with Him. But then life hits, we have ups and downs and those feelings dwindle, they fade and soon our relationship with others, with God has done the same. We are basing it on our feelings, no longer is it about all in, it is about making it through life. We don't get that warm feeling anymore, we stop and in stopping we have given into the devil. We are not leading our hearts, we have to make a choice to do what is hard, to work at things to lead. It will not come easy, but it is so worth it. No longer will we be driven by our hearts and feelings, but driven because we made a choice to follow God regardless of how we feel, we made a choice to love no matter if we are loved in return.

Isn't it time to rule our hearts, or in other words, allow God to rule our hearts. When we love Him, we make a choice that no matter how we may be feeling that we will love regardless, that no matter what the day brings we will give thanks to God regardless. It is then that we make a choice to put God first in our feelings, in the way we live. We allow Him to rule and in doing so, we make a choice to desire Him above all else. If we do not make that choice, the feelings will control us, they will pull us away and drive us to do what come easiest. Being a Christ follower isn't easy, it takes work, it takes being intentional about spending time with God, even when we don't feel like it. It takes reading the word, because we love God more than we love our feelings.

If you are driven by how you feel, are you putting God first or are you putting yourself before God? That is called selfishness and what does the bible call selfishness? 1 Samuel 15:23 "For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."" or 1 John 3:17 "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" There are so many more, today look to what your driving force is, is it your feelings or is it God's feelings? What do your actions say to God? That is the real question, that is the real issue, who are you putting first, yourself or God?