“When I’m doing things my way, I’ve stopped being the branch and am trying to be the vine. . . . Instead of connecting with Jesus and finding what I need in him, I’m trying to find it in myself. . . . This approach will inevitably stop working, and when it does, some predictable emotions will form.”- Kyle Idleman
In Chapter 2 (“The Disconnection Dashboard”) of When Your Way Isn’t Working,” Kyle Idleman quips that he uses the word fine as an umbrella term for an excessive amount of unknown and unrecognized emotions. As a result, Kyle adds, his emotions spectrum ranges between “fine”, “good”, and “meh”.
Consequently, his wife DesiRae introduced Kyle to a tool she uses called the Wheel of Emotions. Or, as the author refers to the tool, the Wheel of Feel. The wheel helps you identify the emotion you’re feeling at any given moment. Hence, that helps you better understand:
- what is causing you to feel that way.
- the direction those feeling will inevitably take you and the people around you.
Furthermore, Kyle explains the origin of the word emotions:
“The word emotions comes from the Latin word emovere, defined in its simplest terms as “to move.” Think of it his way: something moves us to an emotion, and an emotion moves us to something. Where we’ve come from and where we’re going in life are significantly determined by our emotions. This is true even if you don’t want it to be.”
Above all, when we fail to live our lives deeply connected to Jesus, certain emotions begin to surface. In addition, Pastor Idleman states that one of the Old Testament’s primary purposes was to:
- reveal our need for that connection to the Vine.
- make it clear that without that connection our way would never work.
Finally, the combination of emotions that shows up when we live an unabiding life points to one diagnosis. Our way isn’t working!
Today’s question: Do you tend to see yourself more as the vine or the branch? Please share.
Coming Monday: the September Short Meditation, ”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Certain expectations for effort”
