REFLECTION

Have you ever had a conversation with...yourself? Have you ever felt like you knew the truth, but your heart was still trying to catch up? If so, you are not alone.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

(Psalm 43:5, NKJV)

In this anonymous psalm, the writer began with a cry to God for deliverance from oppression. This cry was followed by a commitment to worship God at the tabernacle. this commitment was followed by contemplation - reflection and conversation with himself.

Sometimes, we must convince our hearts to accept what our minds already know.

The psalmist already knew in his mind that he should trust God. Yet, his soul was sad and uneasy. The psalmist was trying to convince his heart to accept what his mind already knew to be true. The mind often informs the heart. But the heart is much slower to change. What we know and how we feel are two different things. However, we can, over time, through prayerful, biblical reflection, convince our hearts to change. We must remind ourselves to trust God, even when we don't feel like it.

We must not be ruled by our emotions.

Because the heart is slow to change, and sometimes hesitant to recognize reality, we must not be ruled by our emotions. The common admonition to "follow your heart" is actually the worst advice ever. Don't follow your heart, master it.

Spend time in prayerful, biblical reflection, until your heart conforms to the biblical truth your mind already believes. Study God's Word. Pray to God about it. Believe what He says. Meditate on it until your heart accepts it. Apply the truths you discovered to your life - put it into practice.