That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his suffering, becoming like him in his death. —Philippians 3:10 (ESV)
Our feelings often betray us. Our emotions can lead us to erroneous conclusions regarding circumstances in which we find ourselves and the people with whom we interact each day. I find myself guilty of allowing a certain feeling I get to dictate how I respond to everyday life. I may feel uncomfortable in a certain situation and have often allowed this feeling to direct the choices that face me. Let me explain: have you ever encountered a stranger on the sidewalk who has made you feel uncomfortable? I have, and more than once I have avoided eye contact, walked the other way, or hurried past that person in an attempt to get out of the situation. Why? Because I had a certain feeling and allowed that feeling to influence my behavior, even without knowing the truth of the circumstance in which I found myself. Now please hear me: I am not saying you shouldn’t be wise or that you should ignore your gut in a situation. I am not advocating a laissez-faire approach to life or throwing caution to the wind when it comes to certain situations and encounters. However, I do believe we allow feelings and emotions to dictate our actions instead of the truth of the particular situation.
There can be a larger-than-life chasm between what we know to be true and what we may feel about a situation. Now, should we be cautious in using our judgment when we do not see the truth of a situation? Absolutely! Many believers know what truth is but refuse to walk in the truth because their feelings hold them at bay.
What Is Truth?
John records an astonishing conversation between our Lord and Pilate:
“You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this; to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” “What is the truth?” said Pilate. (John 18:37–38)
Pilate and Jesus were on two sides of what truth is. Jesus makes a bold proclamation in John 18:37: “I have come into the world for this; to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Jesus does not mince words. His mission was to proclaim the truth. His birth, life, ministry, and, ultimately, his death and resurrection would be a testimony to the truth of all things. In Jesus, we find all the answers to life’s biggest questions. His gospel, his voice, his words, and his life all point to the answer Pilate is seeking; namely, “What is the truth?”
Even though Jesus is on trial, he is entirely in control. His words have power and hope. Where can we go when truth seems out of reach? We can go to Jesus. Where can we go when our life is out of control? We can go to Jesus. What words do we need to hear to comfort and bring peace to a world of chaos? We need to listen to the words of Jesus and experience his gospel power. Pilate had the answer in front of him, yet he chose to pose the question, “What is the truth?”
I think a lot of us, including me, are stuck where Pilate finds himself. We believe Jesus will save, protect, guide, and lead. We have placed our faith in the promise of who he is. However, our feelings tell us something different. They object to his plan, provision, and peace. If we are not careful, our emotions will lead us away from the truth of the gospel, which is the foundation for our very hope and faith, and convince us there is another way, thus creating a massive chasm between what we should know as Christians and what we feel in our present states. What are we to do? Questioning the truth of the sovereign Lord is not the answer. Paul, however, gives us a better way.
When Feeling Gives Way to Knowing
I was in Cub Scouts as a boy. I only lasted one year, but I can remember enjoying the projects, badges, and trips I took as a scout. One day, our leaders took us on a field trip. Our destination was the county jail, a place I had only driven by on the way to the local drive-in theater. (Yes, this was a while ago!) I can still remember the feeling and emotions I had as we entered the jail. We entered a small cinderblock room painted a very dull gray. Plastic red chairs lined the small area, and a large steel door stood in front of us. An ominous buzzer sounded, and a single red light brightly burned above this door as my troop walked into the inner sanctum of the jail. The lights were dimmed and were the only illumination as we faced four separate jail cells. My emotions were running wild, and all I wanted to do was leave. (Maybe that was why I never made it past my first year in scouts.)
One of the prisoners, an older gentleman, spoke up. I will always remember his words: “Don’t make the choices I made. Listen to your parents.” I think I was a perfect child for the next six months of my life. I learned two things from that field trip: (1) I didn’t want to revisit a jail, and (2) I hated the way I felt while I was there. I wanted out of that environment.
Paul writes to the Philippian church from a jail cell. This jail cell was unlike the one I saw. He was chained to a Roman guard. The cell he was held captive in could have been a cave or other holding. Yet, Paul makes a profound statement: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10 ESV). Paul’s basis of belief was not wrapped up in his judgments or the emotions he experienced; instead, his desires were anchored securely by his knowledge of Jesus Christ. He wanted more of that knowledge. Paul made a decision to feed his knowledge of Christ, which overshadowed his jail cell.
This knowledge was rooted in the power of the resurrection. Paul found his present life made sense because his old life was made new in Christ. His current circumstances bowed to the power of the resurrection and the authority and knowledge of Christ. Paul’s worldview was different from the nation of Israel’s worldview in the book of Judges.
Israel was led by their passions and their understanding of the world around them. Whatever they saw fit to do in their “own eyes,” they did, without seeking or understanding the law of God, the person of God or the nature of God. In a sense, they desired self-rule instead of allowing their motives, desires, and actions to be under the rule of the God of the universe. Paul, on the other hand, completely trusted God with whatever happened. His circumstances, although very real and very inconvenient, could not take his heart away from the knowledge of God and the plan he had for Paul.
Too often I find myself more confident in my own rule and reign than the provision and plan of Jesus. What should we do when we see ourselves putting more confidence in ourselves, our emotions, and our circumstances than in the gospel of Jesus? We must repent. Many of us see repentance as a one-time event attached to a fixed time in our experiences, mainly our conversions. This understanding of repentance is only half right. Repentance is a daily posture before the King’s throne. We boldly approach his throne of grace, bowed down before the King, with our backs turned from our old lives to abide by the new life. As believers, we have no time for self-governing because a new King has our hearts.
So how do you span the chasm between the knowledge you have in Christ and the present emotions you may feel? How do you worship the King, even when you don’t feel like it? You realize that his character is big enough to handle your situation and your emotions.
Excerpt from Gospel Shaped Emotions, © Kevin Wilson, 2019
Photo by Matt Sclarandis on Unsplash