Loving Each Other: The Elixir of Life & Emotions (Easter Edition)

What keeps us going when life is hard? 

Today, as we think about loving each other, I want to talk about the elixir of life, the importance of emotions, and our Easter Family Bible Teaching.

1. The Elixir of Life: Hope
G. K. Chesterton once said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.”

When life is dark.  When the light feels a long way away. When we are at rock bottom, and in the deepest darkest valleys - when keeps us going? What makes life worth living?

The answer to this is hope. 

Hope is what keeps people going in the midst of pain.  It is what kept prisoners alive whilst living in the worst conditions in the worst concentration camps.  It is what makes life worth living when we've lost a child or loved one.

Hope is so important, and now, in the midst of our crisis caused by the Corona Virus, our hope in the future is what we need to concentrate on.

For the follower of Jesus, this hope comes from his death and resurrection. This is why we can live for the future.  This is why we have hope for the future.  This is why we can stare death in the eye - and continue to live with joy and passion.

It is because our King and Saviour stared death in the eye, submitted his life to it, and then defeated it on the cross, giving us a sure future to look forward to.

Let me encourage you - in the midst of this crisis - to keep look to the glorious future that Jesus gives his followers.

This drives what we do now - making and growing followers of Jesus for his honour and glory.

This drive how we live - loving each other, and loving others.

Our mission, and how we live, has not changed.  The world around us has changed - but our eyes remained fixed on Jesus, who is our past, present and future.

Let's spend time this Easter thinking about the glorious future we look forward to!

2. Emotions
I don't know about you - but right now, I am feeling some pretty strong emotions.  At times I find myself in despair. Frustrated. Sad. Anxious. Worried.  Even angry.

As a follower of Jesus - what do we do with these emotions?  I've been reading a book called "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" by Peter Scazzero recently that I have found very helpful when thinking about emotions.

The author writes:
Like many Christians today, I was taught that feelings are unreliable and not to be trusted.  They go up and down and are the last thing we should be attending to in our spiritual lives.  But that's an incorrect view.

...most Christians do not think they have permission to consider their feelings, to name them, or to express them openly. This applies especially to the more "difficult" feelings of fear, sadness and anger.

...When we deny our pain, losses, and feelings year after year, we become less and less human. We transform slowly into empty shells with smiley faces painted on them.

...The problem, however, is that we can't reflect and respond thoughtfully to our feelings if we don't know what they are. So much of our true selves is buried alive - sadness, rage, anger, tenderness, joy, happiness, fear, depression. 

...The problem for many of us comes when we have a "difficult" feeling such as anger or sadness...We feel defective because we ought not to be feeling the "wrong" things. We then lie to ourselves, sometimes convincing ourselves that we aren't feeling anything because we don't think we should be feeling it. We shut down our humanity.

So it was with me. I never really explored what I was feeling. I was not prepared to be honest about my emotions with God or myself. 

...My Journey into emotionally healthy spirituality began very simply. Each day, as part of my devotions with God, I would allow myself to feel emotion before God.

..I allowed myself to feel the full weight of my feelings, not censoring any of them. How did I feel about that critical comment a coworker had made to me while we were walking to our cars? Why was I angry? What was I afraid of? 

Emotions are important.  They are important for us as humans.  They are important for us in our spiritual journey.

Let me encourage you, especially now, to spend some time each day acknowledging your emotions before God. Perhaps even write them down.  

Pause.  Stop.  Reflect.  And pray about.


3. Family Bible Study
Our Easter Family Bible Studies are now available - and we have two this easter!

They can be done with your family, with your household - or even just by yourself!  It doesn't matter how old or young you are!

Why not get the kids to do it during Sunday Church? And don't forget to send your craft pictures to kids@stjamesberala.org.au


How you join us online?


You can also join us on Facebook:

 

Please like and subscribe to our YouTube Chanels!


— Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle1 Comment