Last week was an emotional week for me. I was profoundly saddened by the election results. I found myself angry each time I thought about it. My grief, was not as one who had no hope. I knew, I professed, I testified my hope was in Christ, but still I could not shake the disappointment.
So Friday morning as I’m getting ready for work, I ask the Lord to heal my emotions. God said something that surprised me. He said, “There is nothing wrong with your emotions. You are the one assigning shame to your feelings.” “But Lord”, I protested,” I should not allow external circumstances to control my emotions. I’m suppose to be happy and at peace all the time.”
How many of you believe this? How many of you think as Christians we should never be angry or have inner turmoil?
God showed me something this morning that kinda upset my belief system. Jesus was troubled. Yes, Jesus. Jesus felt the same thing I was feeling after the election. When Lazarus died, the bible says that Jesus was, “deeply moved and troubled in His Spirit.” Some translate that as angry. The word trouble means to take away his calmness. This is not a word we generally associate with Jesus.
What is my point this morning. If you are feeling troubled by the circumstances of your world, don’t allow us hyper-charismatic Christians to make you feel guilty because of your angst. But do what Jesus did. Even though His Spirit was troubled, He brought life to those around Him. He wept with those who were weeping. He encouraged those who were discouraged. He introduced hope, when all seemed lost.
It’s okay for your soul to be troubled. But don’t allow it to paralyze you. Use that troubled heart to spur you to change the world.
“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.””
John 11:33, 38-39 NIV
http://bible.com/111/jhn.11.33,38-39.niv