Dormant Volcano Heart Activity

Have you ever experienced situations when it is as if your feelings are screaming for you to follow them?  It even feels wrong during these tough circumstances not to listen and obey what they are shouting out.  It’s so loud.  It’s so easy to give in.  But this is especially the time when we must practice walking by faith and make a decision– to believe and do God’s Word NO MATTER how we feel.

When pressure rises it is only natural for that pressure to go somewhere.  When I think of pressure, I think of a volcano.  Lava, ash or gas flow out during a volcano eruption. We can only imagine what is happening below the surface in a dormant volcano.

Our heart is similar to a dormant volcano – it may or may not be erupting now, but at any time it could explode with what is going on underneath. Or we keep the pressure inside our heart allowing the hot magma to rule our minds.

We may not be able to change a situation, but we are in charge of how we respond to situations.  Ignoring the circumstance will only cultivate more lava, hurting oneself.  Allowing the pressure to erupt will hurt others. Therefore, the best option and safest place to be where no molten rock can hurt you nor others is to choose to go to God with the pressure.

During the times of volcanic heart activity, there really are only two options on the shelf: pleasing God or pleasing self.  We please ourselves when we ignore the pressure or allow the pressure to erupt.  We please God when we go to God with the pressure.  It requires a humble heart to go to God.  A prideful heart will always choose the easier quicker way – but sowing to the flesh leads to destruction.  It may be harder to go to God, but it will reap life.

We either obey our feelings or obey God as pressure rises.  It may feel wrong to not give into our feelings, but each point of decision matters and either hard or easy consequence will follow that decision.

No matter the seismic volcano heart activity, the substance will get less loud the more we practice choosing to believe God at His Word and doing what He says.   Spend some time answering the following questions:

• Name a specific pressure that you experience.
• List the feelings that are “screaming” out during that situation.
• What happens when you respond by ignoring?
• What happens when you respond by erupting?
• What ways could you go to God and what happens as a result of going to Him?

Example:

• Name a specific pressure that you experience.
  Overwhelmed by the list of to do’s.
• List the feelings that are “screaming” out during that situation.
  Why even try, give up, I’m never going to finish it all, I’m doing it all wrong, I’m such a loser, how am I going to get it all done.
• What happens when you respond by ignoring?
  Feelings of anxiousness, fear and anger fester and grow.
• What happens when you respond by erupting?
  Yell, “forget this” and go shopping, scroll on phone, overeat, zone out, hurt self, wallow in self-pity.
• What ways could you go to God and what happens as a result of going to Him?
  Pray, read the Bible, recall memory verse, mediate on verse, praise God through song, ask for prayer, call accountability partner, remind self of gospel. I experience peace, joy and encouragement going to God.