John 15:18 - “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
It's hard for the world to hate you if they don't know you exist.
The issue with staying off the world's radar is it puts us in conflict with what God's Word tells us to do.
For example He tells us to go forth and make disciples.
Matthew 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
He commands us to love one another as He has loved us as the world will know we belong to Him.
John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I have personally struggled through most of 2023. With many things going on within my family, it felt okay and even appropriate to step back, keep my head down, stay off the radar. Deal with things, then when it felt okay, step back into the flow.
The issue is I "felt" it was right. It was my feelings that drove the decision to step back and lay low while things were worked through. The problem is feelings can be manipulated and tend to change rapidly. Feelings are whimsical, chaotic, and almost always voraciously selfish. I mean they are "MY" feelings after all.
These feelings, given unchecked authority, drive us to places we never imagined we'd go. They drive us left to right, up and down, in circles, and many times straight into a ditch. We can hide but they besiege us day and night, waiting for us to take one step outside the castle of self, so they can attack, take over, and raise their banner over the walls.
There are three main ways to deal with this. Surrender and welcome in whatever invading feeling of the day is pounding on the gate. Keep hiding and hope you can hold out until the feeling mob changes to something more amicable. Third to come out and confront the feeling horde.
The first two choices are selfish and prioritize me above all else. They protect me and buy me one more day for the feelings to change.
The third choice however is tricky. I know from personal experience you can "feel" ready to go out and confront things and be wholly unprepared. Most times because it's your feelings driving you to confront other feelings and you walk out in your own strength to do battle. Quickly the feelings change or you become exhausted, causing a collapse back to choices one and two. Surrender or go back into hiding.
There is only one clear way to break out from this place. It is to listen to the only unchanging truth, direction, and love there is in this world and that's God's Word. To get into the Bible and hear Him, see Him, know Him. It is only in Him we are equipped to confront our feelings and step out of our selfish hole, to bring His light to others around us.
Now, I know feelings are something God created us with, so I am not saying they're all bad or to live an emotionless life. Not at all! Just that we must acknowledge and confront them while standing upon an unchanging truth that keeps us grounded and stable.
I've rambled on quite a bit this morning, as the Lord has led the charge out of my personal closed up castle walls, so I will end with a quote from an old movie.
"It all comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy living, or get busy dying."
For me, I choose today to follow the Living Word of God and get busy living.
Which will you choose?
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