How should we live and where should our responses come from?

Most often in life we live and respond based on weak, faulty and incorrect impetus. Without the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives and without keeping in step with the Holy Spirit most people live and choose their responses from/by emotions, circumstances, selfish desires, comparison to other people, approval from other people and other such temporal/worldly motivations.

We must receive from the Lord His perfect revelation, power and Spirit to live this life based on the eternal things of His Word and His character that will never pass away.

If I choose my responses based upon how I feel about something at the moment I will choose things based upon insufficient, incomplete and incorrect starting points. My emotions are based upon two things: what I am looking at and what my physical body and senses are going through. If my physical body is tired, worn down, sick, fatigued, stressed, etc then my emotions most often are going to be similar. I don’t know all of the physiological reasons for this but I do know that it is because God created us and intended us to have holistic health and there is a definite and distinct tie between the wholeness of my body and the wholeness of my emotion. Furthermore my emotions go to different places based on where I am looking and I believe this is a gift from God to let us know when our eyes have been in the wrong place. If my eyes are on Him and my entire being (mind, body and spirit) are resting in Him my emotional state will be once of peace, happiness and contentment. However if my eyes are on Jesus, but my body or mind are fatigued from simply living in this fallen world, my emotions may run low. Regardless of where my emotions are, my choices should be made because of the Word and revelation of God. Only God is unchanging and unchangeable. Therefore what He speaks and reveals will be perfect each and every time because it flows from His eternal nature of love and holiness.

To consider this a bit further we must recognize how many times responses are made out of a place of comparison to other people or seeking approval from other people. It makes much sense that this happens, but that does not make such a motivation and impetus correct. It is so easy to see the people around us. We are fascinated by one another. We are drawn to people. We want to love and be loved by people. This is by the gift and design of God: He created us in community/relationship and He desires that we live in loving relationships with Him and others. However if the love we are looking for is only attainable through us living a certain way, that love is faulty, temporal and ungodly. God’s love for us is not dependent upon how we act or look. He loves us with all that He is simply because of who He is and who we are. To live and respond out of seeking approval from others or because we are comparing and contrasting ourselves to others is a surefire way to live a life of ups and downs, rejection and disappointment.

This is my message to you: listen to the voice of God. Read the Word of God. Pray to the Almighty, perfect, holy  and loving God of the universe. He will not lead you astray. His directions to you will be perfect every time. His instructions will always be for your good and His glory. Furthermore when we live and respond according to His ways, we will not face guilt, shame, fear, disappointment and disillusionment. Rather we will have peace and contentment and can rest assured that with God directing our responses we will actually live a life of love and significance to others and to His kingdom. Please stop reacting out of how you feel or how you perceive others or how you think people are thinking about you, instead. choose to react and respond based on the simple, powerful, true, right, good and holy Word of God. He will never lead you astray and His perfect words, ways and blessings will never end!!