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true human destiny and the very
purpose of life. It can bring very
great and rewarding and lasting
happiness.
Now, finally, let me describe the
three categories into which people
generally, and thoughtlessly, fall.
And then let us see a few examples
of the correct use of the emotions.
First , many, especially those of
Jesser education, Jet themselves go
to an emotional extreme. They are
mere babes emotionally.
lt
never oc–
curs to them to put any check or
control on their emotions. They be–
come highly emotional over incon–
seq uential things. If these people
drove their automobiles as they
guide-or fai l to guide-their emo–
tions, their cars would run wild and
create disaster.
T heir feelings are worn on their
shirt cuffs. They are upset over tri–
tles. Their tempers tly, uncontrolled.
They tlatter, they gush, they exag–
gerate their compliments and their
praise of others. They gossip, they
slander, they speak evil of others
behind their backs. They contin–
ually feel jealousy. resentment , or
excessive jubilation.
Some re ligious sects deliberately
attract the overly emotional. In reli–
gious meetings their preachers work
on the emotions of their congrega–
tions, encouraging uncontrolled out–
bursts of emotional response. They
"work it up"-they generate increas–
ingly energetic and noisy displays of
out-of-control emotion. But Jesus
Christ set no such example. Nor did
any of Christ's own original apos–
tles.
Then there are those who go to
the opposite extreme. Often these
are the intellectuals and the highly
educated - though usually
mis–
educated. They have controlled
emotions with thei r minds to the ex–
tent that their emotions have been
stitled and put to death. They no
longer feel deeply about anything.
They are utterly devoid of real sin–
cerity, any depth of gratitude, any
feeling of compassion or real sym–
pathy. Their emotions never grew
up to maturity- their emotions died
in infancy.
Then there is the middle ground,
equally unprofitable and tragic.
These are those who neither choke
off their emotions with mental con-
The
PLAIN TRUTH August 1978
trol nor exert energy generating
them. They are just listless- indiffer–
ent. They feel no purpose in life.
They have no ambition. They have
no spark. They do not radiate- they
are like dead fish. In an introduction
to another, they extend a cold,
clammy hand with no grip what–
ever. They merely let you grip their
hand-and it's like taking hold of a
damp. dead fish. They have no per–
sonality. They are nonentities.
There isn't enough life in them to
generate any noticeable emotional
response.
Which of these three are you? lf
you are any one of them, you are
wrong.
Now look at sorne right examples!
Where will you go to find the
right teaching on emotional re–
sponse? You'll find it where you
find the true ways of life- in God's
Word toman!
The Bible
teache~
us that our
relationship with God must com–
pletely domínate our lives- until it
simply is our life!
It
teaches us to
feel deeply, though always in–
telligently, about it.
Look at God's instruction through
Joel. A tremendous worldwide time
of trouble is now generating- such
as the world has never experienced
before. Joel prophesied the coming
famine and disease epidemic. He
foretold the plagues of the "day of
the Lord." He foretold the next, and
nuclear, all-out world war- the most
frightful trouble ever to be experi–
enced by man.
Then God inspired Joel to in–
struct us how to escape and find
protection. Does He say we should
go through sorne routine motions,
repeat by rote sorne prayer already
written for us , which we recite with–
out feeling or emotion? No, never!
Here is what He says: "Therefore
also now, saith the Eterna!, turn ye
even to me with all your heart, and
with fasting, and with weeping, and
with mourning: and rend your
heart, and not your garments, and
turn unto the Eterna! your God: for
he is gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness. . .. Let
the priests, the ministers of the Eter–
na!, weep ... a od let them say,
Spare thy people. O Eterna!, and
give not thine heritage to reproach,
that the heathen shou ld rule over
them.... Yea, the Eterna! will an-
swer ..." (Joel2: 12-19).
God says we should turn to Him
in dead earnest- fasting, rending
our hearts- in deepest real feeling.
This is no thoughtless giving way to ·
uncontrolled emotion. This is full
mental realization of purpose- of
need-and, with deepest intense
feeling, seeking God with all our
strength and might.
In correcting Israel for their man–
ner of indi(ferent prayers. God says
of Israel: "They never put their
heart into their prayers" (Hosea
7: 14, Moffatt translat ion).
Look at sorne of the sample
prayers quoted for usas examples in
the Bible. Notice David's prayer of
repentance, when he "carne to him–
self' after his sin of adultery with
Bathsheba and the murder of her
husband. It is in the 51st Psalm.
Notice how David, in dead earnest ,
put his whole heart into this
prayer- with deep feeling of re–
morse and repentance.
David cried out: " Have merey
upon me, O God, according to thy
lovingkindness: according unto the
multitude of thy tender mercies blot
out my transgressions. Wash me
thoroughly from mine iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin. For I ac–
knowledge my traosgressioos: and
my sin is ever before me. Against
thee, thee only, have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight .... Purge
me with hyssop, and 1 shall be
clean: wash me, and 1 shall be whi–
ter than snow. Make me to hear joy
and gladness; that the bones which
thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide
thy face from my sins, and blot out
all mine iniquities. Create in me a
clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me. Cast me not
away from thy presence; and take
not thy holy spirit from me. Restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will 1 teach transgressors thy
ways; and sinners shall be converted
unto thee. Deliver me from blood–
guiltiness, O God, thou God of my
salvation.... O Lord, open thou my
lips; and my mouth shall shew forth
thy praise.... The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart , O God, thou wilt not
despise."
Notice Daniel 's prayers. He was
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