So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.  Proverbs 3:22

If this is not enough to bless us for a lifetime - we also see that the life of God is being poured not just into our minds and wills - but also our emotions.  This is a twofold blessing to us.  First, we are protected from having our emotions lead us.  Too often we find that we are far more emotionally driven than Scripture and Holy Spirit led.  We feel a certain way emotionally and we allow that "feeling" to be what leads us.  This can be dangerous because I can speak personally of how often I just didn't "feel" like being a Christian in my attitude or actions.  This did not come to me in that particular package, because I think it would be far easier to reject.  It came to me in a variety of packages.  I just don't feel like getting up and having my quiet time.  I just don't feel like reading the Bible right now.  I just don't feel like witnessing to that person.  Then there are the feelings of anger, resentment, bitterness, and a host of other negative emotions that come in dealing with people.  One area I don't want to forget in sharing these things is times when desires rise up within me calling for fulfillment.  At times those desires run contrary to Scripture, yet if I walk only in my emotional state, I will find myself following those emotions into something that is sin.  But there is another way.  That way is learning to examine emotions with the Word - and to reject emoitons that will lead to sin and to choices that I will regret later.

When we speak of emotions there is a picture that is very instructive.  That picture is the one where we see the difference between being driven by emotion versus being led by the Spirit of God.  When sheep are being driven - the one driving them is the butcher.  He is driving them to the slaughter house - and ultimately to their death.  The one who leads the sheep is the shepherd.  When we are driven by our emotions - the world, the flesh, or the devil is most likely in control.  They want to drive us through moment by moment feelings that we have rather than by the life of God, which would instruct us in what is right.  The difference here is that one will drive us by whatever feeling is dominant in the moment, while the other will help us to discern between actions that are good or bad.  We will discern that even though we may have positive emotions immediately by doing something - the long term effects will be much worse.  In the same way we may be led by God to choose something that may not bring immediate gratification, yet in the long run will bring great blessing into our lives.  Without the Spirit of God using the Word of God to lead us in the way of the life of God, we may make many foolish choices simply because we were emotionally driven at the moment to make them.

There is also a wonderful way that God grants us emotions as well.  As we learn to embrace the work of God in our emotions we will have times when we can release ourselves to wonderful emotions as well.  Jesus experienced great joy as well as weeping and sorrow in the time He was on the earth.  His was a wonderful example of how God works in us, even using our emotions as He does that work within us.  Worship is a place where this can happen - having strong emotions toward God as we sing to Him and praise Him.  Obedience can yield incredible emotion as we do the will of God and are rewarded for it with a sense that things are good.  God may move us to great emotion in prayer - where we have seen in Scripture that people often weep and grieve before God as they intercede before God and let their emotions out before Him.  All these are beautiful ways that God works in our emotions.  As we are taught by His Spirit of His ways and know Him - these things can be embraced and even help us as we learn to live our lives for His purposes.

How important it is to experience the life of God in our souls - and by that to experience Him in our emotions.  We can choose to be driven by our emotional state of mind in what we do.  To be driven in this way is a horrible way to live, for our feelings may swing from one extreme to another.  To be led by the Spirit involves setting ourselves in a direction according to God's Word - and to submit our emotions to Him.  He will help us to know over the course of our lives how to reject certain emotions that would lead us astray, and how to embrace others which will come as He guides us through life.

Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions. Proverbs 10:12

Two things are compared in this verse in Proverbs.  They are hatred and love.  We see the emotions and choices of both of these things - and because Proverbs is all about wisdom, we also see what they eventually will yield.  If you need a proverb that will aid you in having good relationships, this would be a great one to learn.

First we see hatred.  The word used here is "sinah" and it means a strong feeling of hatred.  It is used of hatred that one human feels toward another.  This hatred can be so strong that it can lead to murder - but it doesn't always end this way.  Usually the manifestation is that it leads to dissension and unrest between two people - and often a broken relationship.  Hatred may begin as a feeling - but soon hatred will bring us to a choice.  The choice that is illustrated here is that of strife.  Where someone has hatred in their heart, strife and discord cannot be far behind.  We can choose to deal with our hatred in a biblical fashion - which is what the second half of this proverb relates to us.  But if we will not deal with our hatred biblically - then that hatred will result in strife.  We are told that hatred "stirs up" strife.  The concept here is that of arousing and awakening someone.  It refers to an agitating action.  Hatred is a motivator - and it wants to motivate someone and agitate them to where they start a fight.  This can be verbal - or as we have seen in worst case scenarios - even physical to the point of death.  That is why we must immediately respond to hate when it rises up within our hearts. 

We might find it interesting that God wants us to hate sin and hate evil.  These are things God does not want us to have decent relationships with in life.  We are to hate these things - and allow that hatred to stir us to stiving with sin and godlessness until we reject and refuse them in our lives.  But when hatred is felt toward "someone" we are walking in dangerous territory.

The second half of this proverb tells us that love covers all transgressions.  The words used here are very expressive.  The love that is mentioned here is the very love of a man for a woman or the love of God for His people.  This kind of love is selfless, self-giving love.  When we love like this - it covers all transgressions.  The word "cover" is the Hebrew word "kasah" and it means to clothe or conceal something.  This is not the "cover-up" that we refer to when speaking of illegal activity.  It is the covering and concealing that happens when one thing covers another.  This word was used to speak of what the water did to the Egyptians when God had the Red Sea cover them.  It is also used metaphorically in the Scripture of something that covers the shame of the guilty.  But in order to fully understand what is said here we need to combine all the words used.  Love covers all transgression.  Transgression speaks of rebellion against God and His Law.  It speaks of rebellion of one individual against another. 

Love chooses to cover over these times of rebellion.  When we look at this whole proverb we see that the usual response to transgression and rebellion is hatred and the strife that results from it.  But what God desires is for us to respond with love - so that relationships will be blessed - even when one party doesn't contribute or want peace.

The most awesome way we see this truth illustrated is by God Himself with sinful mankind.  We have chosen rebellion and disobedience - even hatred of the things of God.  Yet God in His love chooses not to judge us immediately.  His love was manifest fully in Christ.  He chose to love us - and God manifests His love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  This is love in its most glorious form.  That love covers all transgressions - and makes it possible for grace to bring salvation to men.  As we have reaped the glorious benefits of salvation from God's grace, may we also reap the blessings of donning His character in our response to slights of others.  This is the way to redeem a relationship rather than let it take the fallen,  natural course that is usually followed.  What a wisdom is ours when we see a whole way of relating to one another in the cross.  May God use it to bless you in your relationships in the weeks and months to come.