4 Things Christians "Shouldn't" FEEL

The Christian life can sometimes feel like a game with too many rules. We train every service, every Bible study, and in every other meeting to spot what a good Christian looks like and how to avoid looking like a pagan! Of course none of our gatherings and studies are meant to guilt us into loving Jesus. But in reality there actually are a lot of dos and don'ts in the Bible. And they can be a little overwhelming sometimes...But the real weight comes from our own false obligations and expectations of each other and ourselves. We have to admit that grace stands in the way of our condemnation and that sometimes making an exception to the rules is not only ok but good in the right time and place. I hope you see this series as a chance to rethink our misconceptions, enjoy the beauty of sarcasm, and to learn to live through the eyes of Grace.

If you are a "Good" Christian you definitely can't feel...

-Depressed
The one thing you have to feel all the time in order to be a good Christian is joy. Bull! Tell that to Job, David, Mary, Noah..... Think about Noah for a minute. He's already seen his townsman ignore God. Then he goes through years building an ark, the whole time knowing that everyone else on Earth is going to die by drowning. Then he has to watch it all happen. The death of every other living thing except for those on the Ark. You can bet that he wasn't filled with joy. David is famous for writing about his darkness. Mary watches her son be crucified...Now, try and tell me that she wasn't crushed. There are dark times in our lives. Sadness, grief, and depression are in the range of emotions that God made us to experience. Life can beat you down through harsh circumstance. Its not a sin to be depressed. Not even close. The important thing is that God doesn't want us to live in it. You can and will overcome. Victory is in God's nature. He's beat it all-death, disease, disappointment, and disaster. Defeating depression takes a fight but you can! Read more about how to win the battle here.

-Horny
Yea, I just went there! Let's all be honest now...You didn't drop out of the sky. Your mom and dad did a little dance together and it wasn't because they were the last people on Earth and it was their sole purpose to procreate. Ha! Take a small glance at Song of Songs "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine...Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers." Bow Chicka Wow Wow! LOL! The key to sexual desire and living the Christian life is context. Are you married? Yes-then go for it! No-then talk to God about it. Obviously as we mature we all have sex drives but honoring God with it is the secret. Don't let hormones drive you into a world of guilt. Feelings aren't sin if you surrender them to God.

-Rage
There is a time and place for everything. The Bible says that God is jealous. When we put other gods (other things, people, desires, goals, ideals) before Him, He gets upset. It was the first commandment. He gets angry over many things- hurting the innocent, enslaving His people, desecrating His house, etc. There are even times in the bible when God's anger is the cause of destruction or punishment for a whole group of people. The 1 Chapter of Nahum says that "He reserves wrath for His enemies." But God's anger always accomplishes His will. Take a look at Jehu in 2 Kings 9 &10. When you think about ISIS killing Christians & Boko Haram kidnapping schoolgirls remember that God is storing up wrath for them. Even in Matthew 10:34 it says don't be fooled, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

-Happy
Like the rest of these emotions, there is a time and a place. Lately, its been popular to believe that happiness is not the goal of Christianity...and I would agree. But people have also taken this to the extreme of saying that God never wants us to be happy. Well, thats just depressing huh?! We need to take a look at what God really wants for us. Psalm 40:8 says "I delight to do Your will, O my God" and Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Happiness is not natural. Throughout the Bible we see that happiness was a result of putting trust in God's will despite circumstance. That's what happiness is- a life surrendered to the Almighty!

NEXT WEEK: 4 Things Christians "Shouldn't" SAY