MARK 4:35-41: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Emotions are painful things. Think of all the situations and circumstances when emotions instead of self-control of one’s speech and rational thought ruled. Relational tension occurred. Impulsive bad decisions were made. And the results may have produced severe damage. Even the carnage which led to life-altering consequences able to be forgiven but not undone. But emotions also may impact our theology, particularly, our understanding of who God is, what His character is like, and how He deals with us. And if we are not careful, if we let our emotions, our feelings, and our circumstances determine our view of God, we will be in all kinds of spiritual trouble, like the disciples in today’s scripture

Here is the scene. The disciples with Jesus in the boat go to sea. Pay real close attention to “Jesus being in the boat with them.” The journey started out well, but then a windstorm whipped up, not just a little breeze, but a “great” windstorm that was filling their boat with water. And the paralyzing emotion of sudden fear gripped them and rightly so. What happened next? Two things.

First, they allowed circumstances to cause them to forget who was in the boat with them. Get our eyes off the truth that Jesus is “in our boats of life” and emotions will rule us and that never produces anything. When emotions rule, we live by feelings, not faith, and as the literal boat the disciples were in was tossed all over the sea, our hearts will be tossed about by doubt and spiritual instability. But something else happens when circumstances drive us to live by feelings not faith.

The disciples allow circumstances to lead them to being controlled by sinful emotions and that takes them to an awfully bad place theologically, to blaspheme God. Yes, they did. As fear gripped them, they rudely woke Jesus and said these blasphemous words, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Listen to them. They not only forget He was far more than a teacher, but they attacked His character. The God in the boat with them is the God who is love. Telling Jesus, “You do not care” is one of the highest forms of blasphemy. And that is why living by circumstances and emotions, not Biblical truth of Who God is, is so spiritually dangerous. It leads to sin. Even blasphemy.

So, beware of circumstantial theology. When tempted to allow circumstances to lead our emotions to allow this, stop and bring our thoughts to bear on Biblical theology .It will lead to the defeat of this temptation.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to interpret who You are by what You say, not my circumstances or feelings.”

QUOTE: “Be on guard of allowing emotions and situations shape what you think God is like.”