Ch. 389 - Emotional Acting

Mankind in America.

We are taught to use emotion to the best of our abilities - especially to get what we want. Think of something that America's known for...
Media.
Movies.
Acting.
Through this medium of "art" we see an exaggeration of emotion and the outcomes of those exaggerations. Why do we often exaggerate? To be noticed. To get attention. Even to embarrass others or guilt people into helping us.

Guilt people into helping us?
"Aye, there's the rub."

If we think we know what reactions we need certain people to have...
'I need to make this person laugh so they'll want to help me.'
'I need to make this person sad so they'll want to help me.'
... then we're going to do whatever it takes to get the outcome we want. The thing is, we go so far as to think that we have to get God to "see" us in a certain way to help us. We think that by acting a certain way we can guilt Him into helping us.

'Oh, if I weep and cry out to God, He'll be completely willing to help me! He'll see what distress I'm in and feel sorry for me and want to make everything all better. And so then I'll take whatever little bit I get and think of it as a huge sign from God that He's heard me!'

Great.

But God doesn't help us based on our acting ability.
He doesn't take into account the number of tears we cry or how far our sobbing voices resound.

He looks at our hearts.

Selfish desires get you nowhere.
Don't let emotions continually get in your way of living a life that is obedient to the true will of God. Discerning what it is that He wants of you may take longer than you'd like, but that should not matter.


'It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.'
[Psalm 18:32-36]