Are You An Emotional Hearer?

[Guest prayingwife]

Are You An Emotional Hearer? Part II

Romans 8:5-7, Those who live according to the sinful nature (flesh) have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man (carnal mind) is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind (carnal)[2] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so

How do you respond to a crisis? Do you respond in a productive way or do you respond in a destructive way? Are you an emotional hearer? Are you led by your emotions? Are you controlled by your carnal (old sinful nature)? Or are you spirit led, spirit governed and spirit controlled, being led by the Holy Spirit, (new spiritual nature)?

What happens to you is important but it's not half as important as how you respond to what happens to you! Your response can be either positive or negative. You have a choice to respond to the facts (which is the truth) new spiritual nature or you can respond to your emotions (feelings) old sinful nature. How you act or react to what has happened to you is a manifestation of processed emotions...and if you don't mind I would like to talk to you about the dangers of responding to your emotions instead of the facts.

Mark 4:5-9, And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

If you know anything about gardening, when planting seeds or rooted flowers, the Gardener must dig deep enough in the ground (our hearts) so that when He (God the Gardener) places the seeds in the soil, it will have enough room to crack open, spread it's roots and get grounded (settled) in the soil (our hearts) With a rooted flower, the Gardener (God) still has to dig deep enough so that the roots of the flowers will have more than enough room...to spread out and become grounded (settled) in the soil (our hearts) as well!

When we don't allow God's word to go deep enough into the soil of our hearts, it will immediately spring (break out, move forward or upward suddenly from a checked position), and the results of this is....in one ear and out of the other ear! Because the soil of your heart is shallow (not deep enough) from bottom to top that seed (word) can't get rooted (settled)

Mark 4:14-17,

14 The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Verse 17, it tells us that we will experience affliction and persecution but if God's (word) seeds haven't been rooted and grounded (settled) in our hearts...the word says that we will be offended. In laymen terms, our "feelings" will be hurt or we will become, irritated, angry and resentful of the the affliction or the persecution...and all along God prepared us but the "WORD"...we couldn't hold on to GOD'S WORD because our soil was too shallow!

If the soil of our heart is not deep enough to hold the seeds (Words) that the Gardener (God) is sowing, it's because we have...1.) No deep affection ~ Ezekiel 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness

If the soil of our heart is not deep enough to hold the seeds (Words) that the Gardener (God) is sowing, it's because we are...2.) Emotional hearers ~ Ezekiel 33:32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

If the soil of our heart is not deep enough to hold the seeds (Words) that the Gardener (God) is sowing, it's because we have...3.) No deep foundation ~ See Mark 4:16-17 above

If the soil of our heart is not deep enough to hold the seeds (Words) that the Gardener (God) is sowing, it's because we have an...

4.) Inability to receive the deeper message ~ John 6:66, From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

If the soil of our heart is not deep enough to hold the seeds (Words) that the Gardener (God) is sowing, it's because we have...5.) No Deep Convictions ~ Ephesians 4:14, That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive

How are you hearing and receiving God's word today?

Edited October 1, 2004 by prayingwife