Faith Should Not Follow Feelings, but Feelings Should Follow Faith — Part II
Have you ever noticed that our feelings are not always in alignment with truth? In fact, some people argue that our feelings are rarely in alignment with truth. In fact, Satan is known to use our feelings, as a weapon to harm us by persuading us into thinking that what feels good, or right, is, in fact, good and right.
Let me pause there and say that there is certainly a place for healthy emotion. Emotions were created by God and intended to play a crucial role in the fullness of human existence. At the same time, however, our feelings are fallenִ in the same way that our reason is fallen and our moral compass is fallen. The fallen state of humanity impacts all of human existence, not only our cognition, but our feelings as well. This is precisely why our feelings can, and do, mislead us.
This is what we witness in the story of the temptation between Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden. We read this, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Gen 3:6).
God made it clear that eating of tree was not good. But in this passage it says that the “woman saw that the tree was good for good and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise…” (emphasis added). The problem is that how Eve feels about the fruit of the tree does not align with reality. God set forth reality by stating that the tree was not good to eat. Eve’s emotions, stimulated by a false idea from the serpent, set forth another reality that deviated from what God already decreed true. Eve’s feelings, with the help of the serpent, betrayed her.
Our feelings can betray us.
Why is this important? First and foremost, as one being in full-time ministry, I talk with people all the time about discerning the will of God for their lives. Often times people will say that they believed that God “told them” something, or made something clear to them. I often respond with this question, “How did God tell you?,” or “How do you know that’s true?” Too often the response is that the person “just felt that it was true”.
This isn’t enough.
A warm fuzzy feeling does not always coincide with God’s blessing and negative feelings with God’s curse.
At the same time, it is true that there are some occasions on which feelings will correspond to God’s presence or blessing. We cannot count this out. However, God promises in his Word that when he communicates with us (and he is a competent communicator) he will make clear what he needs or wants us to know.
If I’m ever unsure about what God may be telling me, I ask him to please confirm what he may or may not be saying with two other witnesses and at least one being from the Bible. This is a sure-fire way of determine if a feeling is supportive of reality.
Let us be free from our misleading feelings. Pray that God would sanctify your sentiments and align our feelings with the reality of the Cross and the liberation that comes from walking with Jesus. Don’t be deceived by feelings. Be filled with faith in God and his faithfulness.
Feelings should follow faith rather than faith following feelings.
Believe in the true, hard fact that Jesus died on the Cross and rose again after three days in the grave. The feelings will follow. Trust God.
You are so right and thank you! Please visit my blog, I want to share something I feel is very important. It doesn’t cost anything and if you find it valuable I will send you a free hard copy. I am hoping to reach serious students of the Word of God and those whose eyes are open to the times we are in. Click the End of Days study tab and so far there are 2 pdgs, part 1 and 2. I would really love your comments on it. It is a heavy study, but well worth the effort.