Tag Archives: emotions

Wind Chill

wind chill

Most of the country went through a deep freeze recently with temperatures in the single digits and wind chills well below zero. Meteorologists like to say that wind chills are the “feels like” temperatures. The thermometer may say one thing, but our body feels another when we are out in the elements.

The concept of wind chill can apply to other parts of our lives as well. By all outward measures, things may seem fine in our lives, but the “feels like” reality may be something far less than fine. Some people call it the winter blues or blahs. Others may point to the fewer activities or holidays after the new year. But many just may be feeling down for whatever reason.

It is good for us as Christians to read the temperature in the room, so to speak, when we visit someone we know who we think might be lonely or depressed. Jesus was often quick to sense what was going on in a particular situation on a deeper level. I think about the woman at the well who had many issues going on in her personal life which led her to being at the well all alone. Jesus was able to bring those difficulties out and supply her with the living water of himself, which gave her comfort and even joy as she excitedly shared her story with others. (See John 4:7-30.)

We may not be as adept as Jesus, but we can be a voice of support to someone, a listening ear if they want to talk or just a friendly face to bring cheer. Sometimes the simplest things can melt the sadness and warm the heart. Of course, professional counselors might be the best option. But you can be the first to take the chill out of an existence that is below normal. Let Jesus be your guide.

The Heart of the Matter

heart matters

In the fourth century B.C., Aristotle proclaimed his belief that the heart was the center of the soul and that it affected emotions and how you were feeling and reacting to things. People in the Middle Ages believed that goodness and holiness could be physically revealed in the heart. Those who were found to have an enlarged heart, for example, were thought to be extremely loving and virtuous.

We in our modern medical age know better, of course. We know that the heart is just a muscle that pumps blood, not an organ that is the source of our emotional state. Yet, our hearts can be affected by emotions that come from our brains. Our hearts beat faster when we are afraid or in love. Our hearts slow down when we are feeling relaxed and comfortable.

The Bible talks about the role of our hearts in the spiritual sense as well. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). The heart is symbolically seen as a place where love comes from and where spiritual wellness resides, even to this day. But John reminds us in his epistle, “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20).

God is of more importance than the beating of our hearts, the condition of our physical bodies and our reaction to things here on earth. No matter how we feel or what our hearts are doing, God is in control and in charge of our lives. He knows us through and through. Out of his own heart, he sent his Son in love to us that we might be free from all that makes our hearts ache or break because of sin. He warms our hearts and fills us with faith that courses through us that we may not be swayed by emotions, but remain grounded in his grace. The heart of the matter in all things is Jesus.

God’s Plan Is Bigger

God’s plan is biggerIn light of the fact that over the last two decades, the U.S. suicide rate has risen by 25 percent, leaders in the Church are being compelled more than ever to speak out about the meaning of our lives in the context of God’s plan. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, whose own son, Matthew, committed suicide in 2013, has urged those who are suffering to reach out to others for help, and he urges congregations to make a concerted effort to talk to those who are suffering.

What should our message to them be? Warren says we should remind sufferers of this Biblical truth: “God’s plan and purpose for you is greater than the problem or emotion you’re feeling now” (“People in Pain,” World Magazine, June 30, 2018, 9).

The realization that God’s plan and purpose is bigger than ourselves is a very comforting thought and one that I have gone back to quite often since I read this quote.

Are you having a problem at work or at home? God knows about it and will get you through it, as he has planned.

Are you worried, scared, nervous angry, sad, frustrated? God has the power to overcome those emotions and bring you peace and hope and confidence in him.

Life can be messy and not what we envisioned, for sure, but our faith tells us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

And we are assured that ”he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

We may not be able to see the plan of God for us right now, but we will one day, on the Last Day, and until that time we hold on tight to and find joy in the knowledge that the Lord says, even on our saddest day, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Keep trusting in him.