Emotionally Connected

If you have ever watched a toddler you have seen that throughout the day they go through a large range of emotions.  Happiness, anger, fear, sadness, joy, elation, boredom, irritability, you name it.  They let each and every one show too.  As we get older we are taught to not show these.  In other words, hold it in and “act” like an adult.

As I have continued to study the Psalms, I have noticed an amazing trend.  David, the person that God said was a man after His own heart was a man of great emotion.  He didn’t always show those emotions to the world at large, but he did show them to his heavenly Father.  He cried, a lot.  A grown man, who was a great leader of an entire nation, cried. 

One of the first things little boys are taught is not to cry.  Big boys and real men don’t cry, right?  Except, if the Bible is correct and we Christian believe it is, crying is a natural and right thing for us all to do.  That includes men.  We are to cry, literally, to our Father when things are not as we would like.  Now, this doesn’t mean that we act like spoiled brats and stomp our feet and pout and moan and groan when we don’t get our way.  I’m speaking about when we are walking in righteousness and obedience and we are being thwarted at every turn.  This is when we have to fall to our knees and literally cry for help if that is what we our “feeling” at that moment. 

The Holy Spirit guides us in our conversation with God.  He is our emotional connection with Him.  The only thing that would keep us from doing so would be a spirit of pride.  Pride is the thing that says we cannot let anyone, not even God see who we are or what we are feeling.  Yet, what are we really hiding from Him?  He sees everything that we are and all that we are feeling is like an open book to Him, no matter how hard we try to hide it.  The only one we are fooling is ourselves when we hold it in.  Not only are we fooling ourselves, but we are also hurting ourselves because holding all that stuff in causes ailments and diseases like ulcers and possibly even cancer.

In Psalm 56:8, David clearly states his emotions, “Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll – are they not in Your record?” (italics mine)  This is the NIV translation.  The Amplified Bible says it like this, “You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle – are they not in Your book?”  David was very sure that God was aware of how he felt about all things.  He knew where he went and what his feelings were about his travels and how he was treated by friend and foe.  He knew that there was no point in trying to hide it from his Creator, so why do we?

The other thing, is that God does not start moving in the situation until we do come to Him and lay it at His feet.  When we let it go, and humble ourselves.  When we stop trying to pretend we can handle it all ourselves.  Only then will He move His hand and start to resolve it.  It may not be the way we would think it should be, but we do not know what the entire situation is that He is working.  What may seem like a bad thing at the moment, may have a much greater outcome due to that particular situation.  It may be something as simple as the learned patience and perseverance we gained from going through it holding His hand the whole way through.

Do you truly want to be connected with our Father?  Than put down your guard.  Strip the pride from your heart, and confess to God what you are feeling.  Let the tears flow.  Whether you are male or female, it does not matter.  With God there is no gender.  According to Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  So, if that is the truth than what does the statement “Real MEN, don’t cry”, mean to God?  Absolutely nothing.  Real children of God, followers of Christ, do cry, do show their emotions when they are communing with their Father.  The operative part of that statement is “children”.  You see we are never referred to as tweens of God, teens of God, young adults of God, or even adults of God.  We are always CHILDREN, which means it’s okay to act like a child.  That includes dancing with joy, learning new things, looking at the world in wonder and awe, laughing and having fun just because, and yes, crying out to Daddy because we hurt or need help.

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

Dear Lord, when a friend sees my distress and offers his support, my tendency is to wave him away and assure him that nothing is required from him.  I think I can take care of myself.  Father, I am also reluctant to pray about those burdens that I think I should be able to handle without Your help.  Help me realize that no matter how independent I may wish to be, I must come to You with a humble and contrite heart.  Forgive me for my attempts at self-sufficiency, and show me how to  accept help from others and from You.

In Jesus name, Amen.