Our Feeble Emotions
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I’m pretty much an emotional cripple.
Don’t believe me? Well, let me read you this verse in Revelation chapter 3 verse 21 where the risen Christ says, “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on His throne.” Now, I find that astounding; I mean, amazing. That Christ will one day invite me, moi, to sit with Him on His throne?! I mean, that’s not just astounding; it’s beyond comprehension. And what’s more, it’s way, way, way beyond my emotional capacity to appreciate! Such a thought should leave you and me breathless, fallen face down on the floor, shocked into ceaseless words of praise with tears and laughter over the wonder of it all! That Jesus our Savior, who secured the right to sit on that throne by doing something that we could never do for ourselves – that is, win our own salvation – that Jesus through His great suffering and sacrifice would rise up, stand and turn and say to you, “Look, sit here. Here’s my throne. I want you to share it with me so that you can enjoy all the privileges the Father has showered on me. Those privileges are yours, so, come, rule alongside me.” (Gasps) That should leave us aghast. Astonished. Speechless. So, do you see why I call myself an emotional cripple? I think it was John Piper who originally said that of Christians. We’re all emotional cripples. Our flesh and blood is just too limited.
I mean, you and I read verses like Revelation 3:21 all the time. We read that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We read that if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him. That is, Jesus will actually dispatch us as His ambassadors throughout the universe; we’re going to rule over a world we can’t even begin to grasp. And sadly, there’s just no way our emotions can grasp that, can rise to that. One of the most devastating things about the fall back in the Garden of Eden, according to John Piper, is that we lost our emotional capacity to express wonder at the glory and greatness of God.
My friend Katherine Wolf strives to enlarge her emotional capacity when it comes to the wonder and joy of loving Jesus. And I have posted a video of her, sitting in her wheelchair, smiling her Jesus-joy smile, despite a crippling stroke that clamped many limitations on her ability to walk and talk in a typical way. So, if you need a little inspiration when it comes to mustering the emotions and expressing amazement at the grace of God, then Katherine Wolf is your girl. So, take a minute and watch her wonderful video (don’t worry, it’s short). Just watch it at joniradio.org today. Believe me, she will stretch your heart when it comes to matching your emotions with the wonder of God’s glory. Again, that’s at joniradio.org.
And finally, friend, just know this: if you endure to the finish, Jesus is going to one day stand up from His throne and say to you, “Come on over here; here’s your seat.” And if that doesn’t leave you breathless, then check your spiritual thermometer. But don’t feel guilty if you can’t muster the sense of joy, for we are all emotionally maimed. We got a long way to go when it comes to our feelings about the Lord and all that He’s accomplished for us. Don’t feel badly if you cannot rise to the wonder of it all – just thank the Lord Jesus, follow Him closely, obey Him earnestly, bless Him the best you can, and know that one day you’ll be emotionally whole and sitting on the throne of Jesus next to Him. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends!
© Joni and Friends
Hope Heals
Hope HealsBy: Katherine and Jay Wolf
Katherine and Jay were a young couple living the dream in Southern California. But all is nearly lost when Katherine suffers a shocking near-fatal brainstem stroke, as they struggle to find hope in a life that looks nothing like the one they had before. Now, eight years later, Katherine and Jay are stewarding their story of suffering, restoration, and Christ-centered hope in this broken world through their ministry Hope Heals.
