Day 12- Act Immediately, Act Radically

As said in the blog title, there are two ways in today's entry that we should act in love. First is immediacy. We have to have our priorities straight. We need to act on emotions immediately, whether angry, joyous, sad, frustrated, it doesn't matter- we need to do something. If we're angry, we need to deal with the fault and forgive. If we're joyous, we need to share it! If we're sad, we should seek comfort. If we're frustrated, we should seek after God's will. Emotions are meant to be instructive, but when they are undealt with they become destructive. People won't change something if they don't know it offends you. We are unable to truly hide our emotions from others; how much more impossible to hide them from God! Also, God has GIVEN us the ability to experience these emotions, so it's not just for torture.

Second, we have to act radically. We must do ANYTHING to be sure our heart is right. Make an uncomfortable phone call, cut off contact from someone causing you to fail in temptation, spending time alone with someone to hash things out instead of covering it up! Not easy, but so important. Otherwise, a bigger problem arises- new or increased emotions. And eventually we explode. We can't change out emotional response but we can change our circumstances that make us feel that way. In the same way we can turn off a movie that is too scary, we can rearrange our lives to stop being in a bad emotional state. Does it take something crazy? It might. It might require you to move many many miles from the only thing you know as "home."

Point to Ponder: Your emotions are meant to be instructive, not destructive.
This means we can't just throw out emotions; we should seek to find the CAUSE and then respond in love.

Verse to Remember: Matthew 5:30- "If your right hand causes you to sin, cit it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Eek. Most of us aren't willing to be that dramatic, but if we are looking for major change, we can't just keep doing the same things we've been doing. We've got to make major moves.

Question to Consider: How do I need to act immediately or act radically in order to make the choice to love?
I can think of a phone call I should make. I should make it right now. . .