I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart...I Do? Where?

I don't know if anyone thinks in the same way that I do, but I saw a news headline with a picture of Cher and her now son, Chaz. While this post is not about sex reassignment surgery, (it sounds so benign with that title) I found it interesting that in these days, we can change anything we want on our body. We have the cochlear implant so that the deaf can hear. We can change the color of our hair or our eyes (with contact lens), we can get a facelift, we can cut away fat or "suck" it off with a hose, we can take an organ and place it in a new owner's body and if needed, we can do a whole face transplant. It is truly amazing what we are capable of doing. And while we can do these amazing things, we can't stop the passage of time nor enter an earlier era. I'm not sure what is stopping us from doing this as Americans when we base so much of our ideals on feelings. For instance, most of us feel young inside, why couldn't we just pay a fee, fill out a form, state why we think we're really age 22 and then turn it in at the DMV?

Many times, I've kiddingly said that I think I was born in the wrong era or generation. For one thing, "Marilyn Monroe Hips" was the craze, who wanted to be skinny and have a sporty body back then? Also, when I was younger, my dad always said that I was born a 40 year old (sadly, it should probably pushed up to 60 as I have six more years in my 30s) because I was old at heart and I love older people. However, the real reason that I was simply born in the wrong era is that there is a shortage of men my age. I was thinking this as I drove home alone from choir the other night, probably prompted because I was feeling a bit lonely.

By now you know that I am a counselor at my church and when I have feelings of doubt, loneliness or if I cater to my emotions, I really become ashamed of myself for even giving it much thought. I know that I'm not impervious to emotions, trials, suffering, pain, etc. but I also have this other side of me that says, "You're a Christian. You're to have joy, what kind of counselor are you to kowtow to these feelings? You're such a hypocrite for even entertaining such thoughts. You're not supposed to be this way." But, before I succumb to total despair, the huge flag of reality is waving in my peripheral vision, almost shouting out: "Hey you. You're a Christian. You're a human being. You're NOT made of steel. God made you with emotions. If it weren't for the fall of man, you'd have all your desires and needs met but you don't-so yeah, you're gonna feel disappointed at times." And then I start thinking about the godly examples set before us that are presented in His Word.

While there are some that call me a Bible thumper in a derogatory way, I take it as a compliment because they see me as the "real deal". I am not here to just spew out Scripture, I am constantly trying to apply it to my life. Because of David and other examples, I can tarry in my trials as long as the Lord needs me to. I can continue in my suffering without it being relieved because the Lord has given me the strength to do so. His grace is sufficient for me.

Yes, His grace is sufficient for me. How does one come to terms with this? It's a total heart transformation. The idols in my heart must be replaced because I can or will become what I worship. G.K. Beale said, "We resemble what we revere, either for ruin or restoration." Idol worship may at first seem innocuous, but it's actually dangerous because of the downward spiral that ensues. If I think, "Oh, if only I was married, that would be the ultimate and I would just be happy." This is not where God wants our hearts. He wants us to fully worship Him. He wants to be our ultimate, not compared with a desire or idol because He is holy, set apart. He is the incomparable God! We must be careful not to take this lightly because God will eventually render us futile instead of growing us in His image.

As Christians, we want to be molded by the Potter and not the other way around. Our hearts must aim to please Him-not ourselves. If we get to the point where the desires of my heart overtake my goal in pleasing Him, I will carry out sinful patterns in my behavior in my speech, actions and thinking. If I continue sinning, I will have anxiety, distress, shame, sorrow, or despair and God will need to humble me.

I don't want to ever get to this point. I want to have a heart that is moldable and one that will bring only Him glory. I must interpret life through the grid of His Word, truth and promises. This can only be done when we submit to Him, resist the devil or temptation to sin, draw near to God and repent. When we do this, our behavior will result in righteous actions, thinking and speech and we will experience joy, peace, blessedness, etc. When my heart is right, I can see the goodness of God-I am no longer blinded by my sin and idols. Investing in the things of the Lord is so much greater than investing in the things of the world or catering to the idols of my heart because His way is eternal.

I know that whatever I struggle with, God's way must always reign supreme. I must focus on Him. He is the only one who can change the heart. Transformation is the Lord's job and His timing is perfect no matter when I was born. His transformation is internal and eternal. It doesn't take Him six hours to change someone's gender in a surgery, He doesn't need a tube of hair color and time to process it, He doesn't need a bionic ear, heck, He can just make you hear! No one can ever come close to matching His power. America has nothing on this omnipotent God and praise God for that! This is the incomparable God we're worshipping!

Whom have I in heaven but you?And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever-Psalm 73:25-26

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?Who is like you, majestic in holiness,awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?-Exodus 15:11

The Lord is my strength and my song,and he has become my salvation;this is my God, and I will praise him,my father’s God, and I will exalt him-Exodus 15:2

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other-Isaiah 45:22

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.-Ezekiel 36:26-27

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"-Isaiah 6:3