Every Day Grace

Fact over Feeling

September 6, 2020 /

“I’m the worst!”, “But I love him”, “I feel offended”, ‘I feel like”,”I am afraid”……..Our nation and in my own life, feelings have been leading our decisions. Whether it be lies about yourself, fear about the future, or actually loving one another as we are called to do. Our decisions, whether good or bad, are driving and controlling us.

Faith over fear, we have heard said over and over again more recently than ever. I am 110% behind this for multiple reasons. Having faith allows you to let go of the control and prayerfully places it in God’s hands. While having fear is allowing an emotion to rule over you and make decisions for you. I want to encourage you with this post, to really look at why you are doing what you do, is it Fact or Feeling.

Feelings are Good

Don’t get me wrong, feelings are God given. I thought just the other day about why I got so upset with something so small. Then I could hear God in the back of my mind, “I gave you feelings to let you know what you are passionate about.” I remember a friend once told me that as well in college. Feelings do that, God gave us a way to cry when we are said, smile when we are happy, and get red in the face when we are mad. God Himself feels, and feels deeply.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah”. 2 Kings 17:18

“The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 The Lord is good to everyone.
    He showers compassion on all his creation.” Psalm 145 8:9

Whether it be love, anger, or compassion God feels. He gave us feelings as a likeness of himself. God gave us feelings and we should be glad we can feel, to love people, be heart-broken with things that are not the way they are meant to be, or mad when there is injustice. However, we are not meant to be controlled by said emotions.

Putting Faith in a Feeling

Often times, we (including myself) take our feelings as the up most truth, that how we feel must be believed and acted on. Well, it’s not. When you feel scared, sure protect yourself, but don’t let that fear control your actions and it overtake your faith. I can often put my trust in how good I am doing based on the confidence I FEEL. My success is not in how I feel.

“Don’t Stop Believin’, Hold on to that Feelin'” may be one of the most recognizable songs, but really think about that. I know I may be off on what the song intends when I say this, don’t hold on to that feeling. However, if we really put our faith in a feeling, we would be blinded by that feeling until we no longer see the truth that’s in front of us. I truly believe, we are in a time in our nation where we are following and putting our faith in what we feel and not on the Truth. I am not talking about “truth” that comes from the opinions that are being spouted out from every news room. I am talking about the Ultimate Truth that sets people free!

Gotta Have Faith

Now whether it be politics, race, education, Corona, we all need to stop letting our feelings control us and control our feelings. Like, I said feelings are good and God given. But I truly don’t think God gave us feelings to rule over us. After all, only He should.

“You must not have any other god but me.

4 “’You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods‘” Exodus 20:3-5

Though it is very easy to let our emotions come out no matter our opinions, we need to turn our emotions and feelings into faith. I pray that our nation will turn to our loving God, who is trusting and loves justice. We Gotta Have Faith.

All in the Feels

Feelings come naturally, we often don’t get to choose to when we feel. But we can control HOW respond, with self control and grace. We can be in the feels and still hold ourselves honorable by the Holy Spirit and being lead by faith. I am speaking to us all. We are all human and can’t be perfect. But by the grace of God we can grow to be in His likeness.

I pray this comes across gracefully, but also truly believe we need to hear it in love.

Please consider these questions to reflect on in your quiet time to help move from a believing in the feeling and having faith.

  1. How have you felt during this time of change, uncertainty, and stress.
  2. Has your actions been motivated by feeling or faith?
  3. Have you considered praying to God over these feelings?
  4. How can we respond as God’s people to be a light to the world?
  5. Make a list of how you feel and look them up in the bible to see what God says about them.

I pray over this blog and our nations hearts to turn to the Lord and let Him lead instead of our feelings.

–LOVE, Amber