Feelings are overrated, yet have merit, but for what? Are feelings a proper gauge of my spiritual condition? If I “feel” like I’m not doing well, does that mean I am not pleasing to God? Do my feelings equate fact? All good questions, I’m so glad you asked! (hehehe)
Feelings are Overrated for Spiritual Life
The reality is that I’m not intended to base my spiritual life on feelings. Feelings are fleeting and fallible. That said, feelings do have their merit. Feelings are a perfect invitation into my relationship with God. Feelings prick me so I have to go to the Spirit and inquire of my true condition. If I am fearful, guilty, sad, anxious, angry, and so on, I am supposed to take these emotions to God and inquire of Him. “God, am I okay?”
Feelings are Overrated: Flags not Facts
Feelings are flags, not necessarily facts. Feelings are the cries of my heart letting me hear my emotions. They’re stirrings of my soul. And I have to listen to my heart in order to live connected to my world. I can’t live solely in a cerebral world. This would make me more robotic than human. No, God gave me a heart so I can be touched by my world. But I always have to remember that these feelings are not the definer of my actual reality. That position is for God.
Feelings are extremely subjective. They are reliant on my perspective, circumstances and surroundings. My limited view of a situation can quickly color my emotions, all the while, being anything but fact. My facts are defined by the mind of God, whereas my feelings present themselves to cause me to inquire of Him.
God saddled me with two powerful forces, and often they point in different directions. They are my heart and my mind. Why would He give me such damning forces to wield? These powerful forces each make me utterly dependent and desperate for relationship with Him, which is their intent.
The thoughts of my brain and the feelings of my heart can be completely irrational. They make me vulnerable and frail and this is precisely their point! My feelings are like invitations to get to know my God through my circumstances by inquiring of Him. In this way, I can look at my desperation as a welcoming rather than a weakness.
For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.
1 John 3:20 ESV
Me thinks this is not the end…!
😉
Love
Oh John I am praying to finally “get this” my desperation is welcoming!!!! Rather than a weakness You so nailed this with our dilemma being in fact God’s will to bring us into relationship with Him.
Our feelings bring us to require of Him, “what’s happening’? Lord. Oh thank you and Amen
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Wow, John. That last verse is just a explotion of life (a “bomb of life”) to the message. Thank you!