Serving God

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The Pharisees had the mind to serve God. They had the will to serve God. But, they didn't have the emotions of God...they didn't feel the way He felt about them, their future, or Himself.

The emotions are the hardest area of the heart to surrender. I can think something...I can even will to do something....but if I don't tap into how to change my feelings, I will never sustain agreement with God....in fact, I will eventually rebel against Him.

The way I surrender my emotions is to talk to God about them... honestly. I tell Him what I feel, and then find out what He feels. When those two don't match, I recognize I am wrong and ask Him to change my feeling about the matter.

On the surface this sounds simple, but when you bring the unchanging truth of the Bible and the persistent conviction of the Holy Spirit into the conversation you get a very sticky situation...

Jesus feels:

-Patient

-Forgiving

-To bless those who curse and spitefully use Him

-Judging of sin

-Confident to stand for truth...unafraid to take a verbal stand for God even at the threat of loss of position, reputation, or resources

-To speak truth in love

-Faithful to move mountains, dry up fig trees, cast out demons, heal the sick, and tell the truth about sin.

-Generous

-Likes to fast

-Likes to pray alone

-To not say a word in His own defense

-Humble

-A hunger to put away sin

-A zeal to live undistracted

-Unmoved by humanistic lies about the Father's leadership (He isn't moved to weakness or compromise when people call the truth evil)

-Unafraid of the future

-Unworried about provision or time available in the future

-Gentle

-Kind

-To take the role of servant to those who even act arrogantly toward him

-That hard work is worth it just because God sees it

-Uncompelled to make people hear or believe Him

...just to name a few... I generally don't feel most of these ways. I think they are right, I want (will) to do them...but I mostly don't naturally feel inspired to these things in a sustainable way that actually ends up finding expression through me in the earth. The Holy Spirit inside of me does, though. I can tap HIS desire and emotion. They have been planted in me if I am His.

I can learn to feel all of these...But, it takes intention.

The way I tap into the creator inside of me is I talk to Him.

"thank you for the forgiveness inside of me, let me feel it God"

"My impatience is wrong, thank you for the ocean of patience inside of me"

"God, move generosity from my spirit into my emotions. I want to feel generous, not make excuses for why I can't , or don't need to be , generous today."

...Etc...

This takes a willingness to make MY feelings take a back seat to God's. This is the only way a heart can really change, though. This requires faith. It is risky, because God feels much different than the world does about the most important things. It isn't enough to simply know how He feels...if I am going to live at peace with Him forever, I need to start learning to feel as he feels...to be one with Him. This will make me one with others, eventually...as only those who feel as He does about sin and righteousness will stand with Him forever.

This takes time. The righteous King of Glory is rapidly advancing His plan to rule over all. The process of Him taking over will OFFEND the vast majority of our natural emotional inclinations. Now is the time to change how I feel about the world, and sin, and judgment, and fear...now, while there is time.

Make peace with Him while there is time. He is not coming to occupy second place .

Matthew 24:8“All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

10“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

11“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

13“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Learning to feel like God does isn't legalism, or salvation by works...this process is only possible after salvation...no, this is called love, and what it produces is natural obedience.

John 14:15“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

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