God Works Without Fanfare or Emotion

Rene’ Descartes (1596 – 1650)

by Rex Rouis

For the most part, the world runs on emotion. We live in a world guided by reason and motivated by emotion. If it doesn’t make sense to us we probably won’t do it. If it makes us feel good we probably will do it. God is spiritual and His way is different. His love is deeper than emotion and God’s knowledge is deeper than where reason or intellect could ever go. It goes to the very heart of our being.

Until the Enlightenment, which spanned the late 17th and 18th centuries, our perception of self-awareness was attributed to divine revelation. Subsequently, self-awareness has been predominantly linked to reason. René Descartes’ (1596 – 1650) renowned assertion, “I think, therefore I am,” and Thomas Paine’s (1737-1809) declaration, “My own mind is my own church,” have come to embody this shift. Interestingly, Adrien Baillet notes the irony that Descartes, often credited with promoting intellectual understanding over revelation, claimed to have received the concepts of rational thought through three visions from a divine spirit on a single, frigid night. Thus, the individual instrumental in supplanting revelation with intellectual understanding seemingly acquired it through revelation. Darkness has no shame. What destruction has been wrought on the world through one man’s deception influenced by a dark spirit.

We live in that kind of world today – the Age of Reason. To many, their intellect is their god. Reason and intellect are not necessarily or inherently bad. They are helpful tools by which we make decisions. They are helpful unless superseded by a word from God – the real living God of the Bible.

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. I Corinthians 2:14 New International Version

The merely intellectual man rejects the teaching of the Spirit of God; for to him it is mere folly; he cannot grasp it, because it is to be understood only by spiritual insight. I Corinthians 2:14 Twentieth Century New Testament

The world motivates and manipulates through emotion. God guides and motivates by the leading of His Spirit in our hearts. That ‘still small voice,’ that speaks so softly to our hearts, which in the hustle and bustle of life can be missed or ignored. He, the Holy Spirit, is God’s chosen mode of communication. So many times, the internal battle we face is the battle between what our heart whispers and what our mind screams. Peter’s heart tells him to throw his leg over the side of the boat in obedience to Jesus’ word, and walk on water. His mind tells him that if he does he is an idiot. So it goes with all of us.

God guides and motivates by the leading of His Spirit in our hearts.
Again, emotions are important, so are intellects. God made them. They just can’t be trusted, especially in the heat of battle – like in the world around us. They cannot be relied upon for one’s peace or happiness. Only God and His word can be trusted. Only His wisdom is true wisdom.

Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom — but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. I Corinthians 2:6, 7

Do the things you know to do even though you don’t feel like doing them. Put the word of God into your heart even though you don’t feel anything happening. Speak the word out of your mouth even though you feel stupid and your mind tells you that you are lying. Do the things of God simply because He told you to do to them. And know, that deep inside you and deep within the situation you may be in, He is at work. God works mostly behind the scenes in the secret places of our hearts and lives. Usually, He only comes out into the open at the very end. Sometimes, at the very last moment.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world– our faith. I John 5:4

Our walk is one of faith – trusting in what we know instead of what we see or what we feel. Our trust is in His love, His power, and in His authority given to us. Keep putting His wisdom into your heart, ‘so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power (I Corinthians 2:5).’

Trust that He is working and don’t stop till it is over. And remember, it is not over till you have your answer. Persevere in all that you do with God. Walk by His word and let the Spirit of God lead you. He will lead you to victory through the narrow door of faith. The door that only a few go through. Be one of those that receives the prize that comes from unemotional faith and determined obedience to God. Do all that you know to do. Do all that you can. Keep believing and do not give up. You will be happy you did.

Comments

  1. I have made the mistake of putting my marriage on the altar . Out of fear, I accepted things that in my heart I knew were unacceptable situations in God’s eyes, all in the hope of ‘controlling ‘ so that my marriage could be restored. I see now “controlling’ comes from the enemy, not from our Lord.
    Today , i took a step of faith and declared “no more”. I am truly surrendering my life and my relationships to God. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want..” He will lead me and I will follow. Thank you for this site with all of its resources.

  2. I have received so many blessings of protecion from God that my faith in his protection has grown firm and strong. I love how our Lord protects us even in areas where we do not know there is danger. Glory be to our father God, may his name forever be praised.

  3. In a few hours my fate will be determined…..I believe God is working it out in my favor. You believe that too right??it’s gonna be really fine right??God won’t forsake me.I believe.

    1. Author

      Edino – I don’t know what the issue is but I am believing for the grace and mercy of God to protect you and keep you in Jesus Name. We love you. Rex

  4. Hey Rex, I have just forwarded this message to my gardener who has been here doing some work for me. He is a spiritual guy but purports to be a muslim although he is English born & bred. He converted to islam so he could marry his Spanish wife (they are Sufi muslims).

    Yesterday, I had another deep conversation with him & so many of the points you make in this message we discussed. Amazing! Your email came on the same day of our conversation but I have only just seen it (i.e. the following day). Great timing, thanks for that. He will be back to do more work next week so I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say!

    Praise God!

    All the best,

    Nick.

    1. Author

      Nick – I speak God’s grace and love over you, over him and over your families. The ‘eyes of his understanding will be enlightened so that he will see God’s plan and calling for his life’ in Jesus Name.

      We love you guys. Keep doing the faithful work of Jesus. Are you still in Spain? Rex

      1. Hi Rex, Thanks for the reply. Yes, we are still in Spain (sometimes we wonder why, though, as it is pretty tough here). Nevertheless, we keep on doing what we are doing, by the Grace of God.

        Our gardener replied to my email/your message, which God used to confirm my conversation with him, & he seems to think it was something special (& we agree, of course).

        Rex, we are grateful for your prayers as we have no support here, no fellowship with other Christians & no church to go to. We live in a fairly cosmopolitan area & share with many people of different nationalities but seem to make very little impact. You can see why we question certain things.

        In relation to this type of thing God woke me up one morning some time back with the song (although well before my time) “Actuate the Positive”, by Johnny Mercer, from the 1940´s. Although I had heard the song before, I had no idea that it had any religious content. Just to say that I have found myself singing it again today as it is really encouraging & really helps knowing it was from the Lord. It has a brilliant message & I would recommend it to all!

  5. Good article! I read a book that stated that it is very important to memorize Scriptures. Having Gods Word in our mind gives us “radical protection” from the forces of evil. It is also great to put your own name into the verse. For example: God is Sandra’s refuge and her fortress… Ps 91:2. or
    A thousand may fall at Sandra’s side and ten thousand at her right hand, but it shall not come near Sandra. Ps 91:7.
    Some I like to memorize are: Daniel 9:23 for you are greatly beloved… Ephesians 1:4 He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. Isaiah 41:10: Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
    There is so much strength to be gained from scripture. My friend told me that there is great power in the spoken word. This made me realize that it must be true because Jesus created the worlds through His spoken word. Heb 1:2. Gen 1:3. He spoke and all came into being.

    We are created in His image in many ways, not just physically. We have similar emotions and we have the ability to be creative. We are sentient and make our own decisions. Therefore, the Lord has given us His words to use for power for ourselves.

    1. Amen Sandy. You are so right. The word of God is very powerful.

  6. I gave a talk a few weeks ago on “emotional contagions”. It was to a very secular group, full of a lot of technical information around the apparent mechanics of thought and feelings, animations of how our sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems work, but in spite of that I also quoted Scripture (I just didn’t cite it, though the Christians in the audience “got it”). PHIL 4:8 specifically.

    My primary point was being self-aware of our emotions is vital to allowing for better (more coherent) communication and relationships, bit what I left them hanging with was that that awareness was not enough but that thinking differently was the key and left large hints that a much greater mind was present to help guide our thinking along.

    Since the last slide of my talk ended with a large “GRACE” hanging on the screen you could tell the wheels inside a few heads were turning around a word they’d likely not thought about in a while.

    My hope is a few will follow up with me and ask me about that grace.

    1. Author

      Good for you. If only we could all have the Mind of Christ. Someday…. Rex

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