I think Morris Albert was on to something when he coined the wildly popular song 'Feelings.' He wrote, "Feelings- nothing more than feelings."
In this broken hearted ballad feelings consume everything. Almost every line in the song has the word feelings in it. Over and over and over, it truly is nothing more than feelings.
How like a woman's world.
Have mercy.
Yesterday was a rough morning for one of my little Chiquita Bananas who is not too found of getting up at o' dark hundred to get ready for school. And no it's not the one who dramatically laid across the front door stoop a couple of weeks ago and proclaimed making a child go to school was officially abuse.
No. It's another Chiquita.
So, on the way to school on this oh so pleasant morning, we were having quite the bonding moment as I explained her actions that morning were unacceptable and there would be consequences. I love consequences. I love letting consequences scream so I don't have to.
Anyhow, in the middle of this tender bonding moment said child proclaims, "I just don't feel like being nice some mornings. And if I don't feel nice, I can't act nice."
Feelings, nothing more than feelings.
I wish I could control the soundtrack of my life with the push of a button. I would have blared this song as we pulled up to the middle school and made a very dramatic point.
Instead I looked Chiquita square in the eyes and blurted out some wisdom that was so good I had to immediately call Holly and brag after I dropped happy girl off.
"Feelings are indicators not dictators child. They can indicate where your heart is in the moment but that doesn't mean they have the right to boss you around. You are more than the sum total of your feelings and perfectly capable of little gift from Jesus called 'self-control'!
I'm very confident the glassed over look and the long drawn out, "Mommmmmm," meant Chiquita totally connected with my early morning sermonette.
But no matter if she did or didn't, I totally connected with this truth.
This truth I'm fairly certain came straight from the Holy Spirit meant for me as much as for my daughter. Don't you just love when you're disciplining your kids and God whispers, "This is good. I hope you're listening so you can apply this same truth to your life."
Mercy.
We are reminded in Jeremiah 17: 5-6, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands... He will dwell in the parched places of the desert."
I don't know about you but when I let my feelings boss me around and trust only in my flesh to handle situations, I often feel like a crusty ol' burnt up bush living in parched places.
Now don't get me wrong, I think it's good to feel. Like I said feelings are indicators. And it's good to honestly assess what we're feeling and why. It's good to keep a gage on our heart so we can process, clarify, and understand things more deeply.
But, God gave me more than just a heart by which to process life. He gave me mind as well. A mind that was made for truth to reign supreme and keep my heart in check. "The heart is deceitful above all things... I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind," (Jer. 17: 9-10).
We are more than just a sum total of our feelings. We are children of God made to walk in truth.
Oh Lord, help me to know this today. Help me to process my feelings with the protective covering of your absolute truth.
And help Chiquita to be cheerful today. I'd hate to have to break out yet another sermon this morning.
In this broken hearted ballad feelings consume everything. Almost every line in the song has the word feelings in it. Over and over and over, it truly is nothing more than feelings.
How like a woman's world.
Have mercy.
Yesterday was a rough morning for one of my little Chiquita Bananas who is not too found of getting up at o' dark hundred to get ready for school. And no it's not the one who dramatically laid across the front door stoop a couple of weeks ago and proclaimed making a child go to school was officially abuse.
No. It's another Chiquita.
So, on the way to school on this oh so pleasant morning, we were having quite the bonding moment as I explained her actions that morning were unacceptable and there would be consequences. I love consequences. I love letting consequences scream so I don't have to.
Anyhow, in the middle of this tender bonding moment said child proclaims, "I just don't feel like being nice some mornings. And if I don't feel nice, I can't act nice."
Feelings, nothing more than feelings.
I wish I could control the soundtrack of my life with the push of a button. I would have blared this song as we pulled up to the middle school and made a very dramatic point.
Instead I looked Chiquita square in the eyes and blurted out some wisdom that was so good I had to immediately call Holly and brag after I dropped happy girl off.
"Feelings are indicators not dictators child. They can indicate where your heart is in the moment but that doesn't mean they have the right to boss you around. You are more than the sum total of your feelings and perfectly capable of little gift from Jesus called 'self-control'!
I'm very confident the glassed over look and the long drawn out, "Mommmmmm," meant Chiquita totally connected with my early morning sermonette.
But no matter if she did or didn't, I totally connected with this truth.
This truth I'm fairly certain came straight from the Holy Spirit meant for me as much as for my daughter. Don't you just love when you're disciplining your kids and God whispers, "This is good. I hope you're listening so you can apply this same truth to your life."
Mercy.
We are reminded in Jeremiah 17: 5-6, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands... He will dwell in the parched places of the desert."
I don't know about you but when I let my feelings boss me around and trust only in my flesh to handle situations, I often feel like a crusty ol' burnt up bush living in parched places.
Now don't get me wrong, I think it's good to feel. Like I said feelings are indicators. And it's good to honestly assess what we're feeling and why. It's good to keep a gage on our heart so we can process, clarify, and understand things more deeply.
But, God gave me more than just a heart by which to process life. He gave me mind as well. A mind that was made for truth to reign supreme and keep my heart in check. "The heart is deceitful above all things... I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind," (Jer. 17: 9-10).
We are more than just a sum total of our feelings. We are children of God made to walk in truth.
Oh Lord, help me to know this today. Help me to process my feelings with the protective covering of your absolute truth.
And help Chiquita to be cheerful today. I'd hate to have to break out yet another sermon this morning.
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