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10/09/18 - 2Tim 4


Oct 9, 2018

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do your job, fulfill your ministry. 2Tim 4:5

Don't let your life be controlled by feelings or circumstances, let it be controlled by God's purposes.

There is a difference between passions and feelings.  Passions are a calling toward something, feelings are a desire for something.  Both can be good things, but they don’t always make for healthy choices.

Golf carts, along with other vehicles, often have something called a “governor” built in to regulate how fast they go.  This device allows the engine to run as fast as the driver wants up to a limit, and then regulates the speed from going higher.  It is a safety feature so that the engine’s speed doesn’t exceed the safety level of the vehicle.  Some people remove this special device so that they can go faster, but by doing so create the risk of a crash.

Passions are a calling in your soul.  They were given to you by God and are as unique as you are.  Every person has at least one passion that serves as a marker to show we matter and we have a purpose.  But passions have a “governor” called character.  When our passions exceed our character, we tend to find breakdowns in ethics, which eventually slow down the passion.

Feelings operate a little differently.  Instead of being a calling to fulfill a purpose, they tend to propel our hearts toward a desire.  Feelings are not bad in themselves, but they can often cloud over the “governor” built into us called “our mind”.  When feelings exceed logic, they tend to create breakdowns in morality, which crash us into the wall of failure.

Paul warns young Timothy to handle both passions & feelings by staying true to character and logic.  Continue to pursue passions, but keep your head.  Pay attention to your feelings, but let logic endure over fears & frustrations.  Don’t dump your passion when things get hard, fulfill your ministry by being a man of character. 

Passions and feelings have great value in helping us along the course God planned for us, but they often need the “governors” of character and logic to keep them in line.   Keep those governors installed in your life, and your journey will continue forward on the road God has laid out for you.

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