Affections

1 Peter 1:8 "Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

Last night, before the boys went to bed, we cranked up the stereo and danced our hearts out to the living God.  It was the most fun I had in a long time, to see little Chase's face light up with the thrill of joy as the electric guitars rocked and the kick drum thudded--Toby and Chase could not contain themselves and the dance was on.  Their excitement and freedom was highly contagious, I would highly recommend you try it.

I have just started reading Jonathan Edwards, A Treastise Concerning Religious Affections.  

His main doctrine is that: True religion, in great part, consists in holy affections.

He says, "Such seems to be our nature, and such the laws of the union of soul and body, that there never is in any case whatsoever, and lively and vigorous exercise of the will or inclination of the soul, without some effect upon the body, in some alteration of the motion of it's fluids...true religion which God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless wishes, raising us but a little above a state of indifference: God, in his word, greatly insists upon it, that we be good in earnest, "fervent in spirit", and our hearts vigorously engaged in religion."

The scriptures do place our walk with Jesus very much in the affections; we are told to fear, hope, love, hate, desire, joy, sorrow, gratitude, compassion, zeal, broken and contrite, and the list goes on and on.
The truth is we are moved by our desires.  You, right now, are pursuing what your affections are stirred towards. We are very inactive unless we are influenced by some affection.  If you take away, love, fear, hope, anger, zeal, from mankind the entire world would become motionless of any pursuit whatsoever.

Duet. 30:6 says, "And the Lord thy God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, that you may live."

Each of us are being moved at something, we desperately need God to circumcise our hearts that our affections would be moved towards him.  If you are lifeless today ask God to turn your heart of stone into a heart of flesh.  Help me God to feel what I should feel, to love what you love, and to fear what I should fear.