F.I.N.E. = Feelings Inside Not Expressed
For Though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth. We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One. 2 Corinthians 10:1-5
Common Denominator: We All Have Feelings
Our feelings are something that we experience every single day and they are prejudiced by so many life influences. Some good, some bad, some little, some huge, but we always have feelings to deal with and we should sort them out genuinely, in a way that only brings honor to God. When we don’t express our true feelings, we live our life out of fiction, out of untruth, not in a genuine way. This is not what God has for us.
I Am Fine
Our lives are either going to be lived out truly or deceptively, these are our black and white choices. You would think that we would know when we are being deceptive with our feelings, but there is a certain thing we do that leans us into the deceitful side of our feelings and it begins with this question: “How are you?” And this answer: I am F.I.N.E.! What does that mean exactly? Well it means you really have not shared how you feel. F.I.N.E. = Feelings Inside NOT Expressed.
No Isolation…No Loneliness
We live in a very isolated, lonely culture and the masks we wear keep the Body of Christ from sharing honestly with each other, from being involved in each other’s real lives and from growing and learning together. I think of how much I have learned from King David in the Bible and how his expression of feelings cause me to be drawn to God. I hope to be better, so my feelings can be used for the good of God’s Kingdom. How about you? How are you feeling today?
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6
Honest ~ Honorable
The safest place to begin to be real with your feelings is with God. King David was not fine and he did not pretend to be so. Feelings Inside Not Expressed! His feeling inside were expressed and God was able to handle them, direct them and change them. God takes our feelings and He owns them, protecting them as if they were His own. God’s arms are always open wide to us, no matter how we are feeling and He loves our honestly as long as it does not cross over to disrespect. We can be honest and honorable.
Pushed Down ~ Explosion Happens
God is not going to reject our feelings. He made us this way. We can’t walk around like we are F.I.N.E when our “Feelings Inside Not Expressed”, are about to explode, because that is exactly what they will do when we push them down for so long, they eventually will come out, uncontrollably projecting all kinds of vile on the people in their path. I call this emotionally throwing up all over someone all the feelings you have stuffed down for so long. It is not pretty.
God Already Knows
Lord cause us to come to YOU, cause us to take off our F.I.N.E. masks and learn to be totally, fully, completely, wholly, honest with You. Because YOU Already Know. We are not keeping anything from you. You know exactly what our soul is feeling! We can’t hide anything from You and we surely do not hide our feelings from people very long either, they will rise up and be known.
Psalms 66:17-20 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Dig Deeper: John 17
How Can I Pray For You Today? Silence. No Comments. Nothing. We Are Fine= Facts. Inside. Not. Expressed. We ARE The Body Of Christ! How can we help each other if we all wear a FINE mask? How can we learn and grow together in Christ if we all are Fine? How can we pray for one another, grow together in unity if we all are FINE. It was Jesus’ heart desire expressed in John 17 when He prayed for us, very emotionally, very truthfully shared with His Father God how He felt about us, what He desired for us. We need to be the same, we need to tear down the walls of isolation, take off the F.I.N.E. masks and begin sharing with one another, opening our hearts to one another and Jesus did to the Father God and prayed such an incredible heartfelt prayer for us.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17&version=VOICE
Read through this chapter in John and hear Jesus’ heart for us. He held nothing back and this is the vision God has for His people that we open our hearts wide to Him and each other. We need to confess to each other that we are NOT F.I.N.E., that we need God and we need each other.
Selah
How Are You? I am F.I.N.E. = Feelings Inside Not Expressed. How can I pray for you? I am F.I.N.E. = Facts Inside Not Expressed.
“When you sense the Spirit of God asking you questions that cause you to do a bit of self-examination, be willing to agree with God about what you find in your heart. God doesn’t convict you to condemn you. He purposes to change you into His likeness and bring you into intimate fellowship with Him.” Priscilla Schirer
Pray It Up
I pray for us today that we will be more honest with God first, ourselves second and others third. We are not always fine. We need God and we need each other and we definitely need to be honest with how we truly are feeling and what we are “growing through”. Honesty is best because it causes us all to grow together as one in Christ. If we hold back what we are growing through by saying we are fine, then we are withholding a blessing from the other person. God created us to need Him and to need other people and not to need to say: “I am fine” when we truly are not.
One of the sweetest gifts God gives is called exhortation. It comes alongside the gift of faith, caring and giving and encourages people, pointing them to Jesus, Who truly is all they need. God has shaped this prayer mentoring gift into me over the years I have been in relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit speaks His Words of exhortation through me. I hear, listen and write. I hope it blesses you as much as it does me. God bless you much. Please help me to spread the message of encouragement to others by using your social media buttons below to share this Prayer Mentor Exhortation with others. Leave a comment and encourage me and others in Christ Jesus. I hope you enjoyed your meal in The Bridegroom’s Cafe. Thank you. KimberlyMac, A Prayer Mentor For Jesus!