You Need to Go the Distance - Day 206

It's easy for me to get emotional and then not do anything about it. Emotions don't seem to ever take me very far. I sometimes feel like I just want that emotional high. Almost like a drug, I want some emotional song about Christ to make me feel closer to Christ. Get a little drums going. Get that adrenaline pumping and then I'm all set to go. But it's a little like running. You can play that music and get your adrenaline pumping. But then 5 miles later I feel exhausted. I've exhausted all that adrenaline in the first 5 miles, and then with 10 miles to go... I collapse. Adrenaline and emotion is only going to take you so far. At some point you're going to have to train those muscles to go the distance. You're going to have to get beyond the milk of the Word and dig into some meat, at least once in awhile. ^_^

The charismatic seems to be a little too much about the feel. It's all about the emotion. You're passionate, but you're driven by the emotion rather than the actual Word. A little bit of a flash in the pan because there's not a whole lot of substance.

Reformed people tend to be the opposite. It's all very analytical and there isn't really much joy and love expressed for Christ... or each other, for that matter. Everything has been reduced to the five hundred points and which ones you disagree on.


I think there needs to be a balance of both the emotions and the mind. Passionate love for Christ is of course going to be expressed differently by different people. Some people are going to act with more charisma. Just because someone isn't as naturally loud and expressive doesn't necessarily mean they're loving God less. Generally those who plod along in quiet, and with a firm step, will be those who make it to the end. It seems like the people who come in and flash themselves around as extremely passionate about Christ, usually end up just being a flash in the pan... and then they go on to the next religion. But on the other hand, the quiet and reserved person could be dead and you never really know if they're dead or alive because when you check for life on them, you can't hear anything.


It's not our place to say who's saved and who's not. Our job is to hope all things. However, exhortation is important if you see someone going a way you don't think they should go. But you can't give a good exhortation without a strong relationship.

Ugh! it's so complicated.

I think we can conclude that the answer lies in Luke 10:27 - "And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”


Oh, and by the way.... did you notice it said your? Your heart, your soul, your strength, your mind... not mine, not my dad or my mom's, not some emotional charismatic or genius theologian.


You. 


P.S. I know I'm overgeneralizing and exaggerating in some of this post. Never forget I'm always trying to make a point. Always.


Balance. The Christian life needs balance. Anybody need a tight-rope?


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