The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond
cure. Who can understand it?
(Jeremiah 17:9)
Three times in the past two days, and at least one more
time in the past week, the subject of the heart has been flung in my face. Twice
this morning. I suspect God is trying to tell me something, but at the moment, I’m
grinding my teeth. The third time, we were talking about the full armor of God.
When the subject of the belt of truth came up, I mentioned that in the culture
in which the Bible was written, the guts were considered the seat of emotions.
The teacher said that he’d get to that in a moment, and when he discussed the
breastplate of righteousness, he told us that the heart was the seat of
emotions. I didn’t correct him or kill him.
The second time, John Eldridge got it closer to being right. He noted that the heart is the seat of the self, and its voice is emotions. That, at least, is food for thought.
The first time was the typical appeal to pitch your brain in the garbage can at the door, all you need is to feel. I’m sure there are people who would accuse me of oozing negativity if I said this all too frequent appeal makes me feel like puking.
I am not suggesting to anyone that they should stop feeling, because that would be doing to them precisely what they are trying to do to everyone else – cut away part of their souls. But are we truly to believe that God is pleased with, or intent upon our amputating part of ourselves, especially when the part that remains, left to itself, is deceitful above all things and beyond cure? No, to excise the mind, or the will, or emotions creates a crippled person. Sociopaths feel no emotions. Doormats have no wills. Zombies have no minds. It is only as we are an integrated whole that we are people. (Needless to say, I feel very strongly about this!)
The second time, John Eldridge got it closer to being right. He noted that the heart is the seat of the self, and its voice is emotions. That, at least, is food for thought.
The first time was the typical appeal to pitch your brain in the garbage can at the door, all you need is to feel. I’m sure there are people who would accuse me of oozing negativity if I said this all too frequent appeal makes me feel like puking.
I am not suggesting to anyone that they should stop feeling, because that would be doing to them precisely what they are trying to do to everyone else – cut away part of their souls. But are we truly to believe that God is pleased with, or intent upon our amputating part of ourselves, especially when the part that remains, left to itself, is deceitful above all things and beyond cure? No, to excise the mind, or the will, or emotions creates a crippled person. Sociopaths feel no emotions. Doormats have no wills. Zombies have no minds. It is only as we are an integrated whole that we are people. (Needless to say, I feel very strongly about this!)
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