Resolved to Obey

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'๐ฝ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘’, ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข ๐‘ข๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘คโ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘ก ๐ผ ๐‘ค๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘ก ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข? ๐ฝ๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘ก ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘–๐‘  ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘š๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘’ – "๐ผ ๐‘ค๐‘–๐‘™๐‘™ ๐‘๐‘’ ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘ , ๐‘€๐‘Ÿ. ๐‘…๐‘œ๐‘โ„Ž๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘Ÿ."'

'๐™ˆ๐™ง. ๐™๐™ค๐™˜๐™๐™š๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง, ๐™„ ๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™ก๐™ก ๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™ฉ ๐™—๐™š ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง๐™จ.'

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I have been reading Jane Eyre for a couple of weeks now. I am at this point where Jane chooses to obey God rather than follow what her heart desires. 

If you have read this book, Mr. Rochester's confession of love might seem so romantic. All those little details of the first time he met Jane until the day he asked her hand for marriage which consumed almost four pages would give you that ๐‘˜๐‘–๐‘™๐‘–๐‘” feels. But if you know Mr. Rochester's life, as a believer and follower of Christ, you'd be amazed with Jane's courage to say "no". 

Ideas of love (no matter how ๐‘˜๐‘–๐‘™๐‘–๐‘” and romantic it may be) is not worth pursuing at all if it means disobeying God. 

The chapter I am reading tonight reminded me of that part of the Bible when Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness. Jane, at this point of my reading, is tempted to follow her heart because of Mr. Rochester's "confession of love". Still, Jane chose to renounce the "love and idol" she found in Mr. Rochester. She bravely said, "One drear word comprised my intolerable duty – 'Depart'". She further remarked, "I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will uphold the principles received by me when I was sane and not mad – as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth – so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane – quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot." 

I admire Jane tonight for her resolve to obey God.

The world continues to urge us to follow our hearts but let us never forget that "the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)." When tempted, choose to depart!

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