Nothing more than Feelings

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” We can’t live by how we feel. Your feelings are not only inaccurate, but they are deceitful. Your feelings at any given moment are your reality. They are your truth. But they are not THE Truth. Here are a few different reactions we can have to our feelings:

1. We can live by our feelings.

We’ve all been here. Somebody says or does something and the “I’m going to show them” part of us rises up. We think we need to show them the truth… or our version of it. Unfortunately, this sometimes works out for us, so we think we’ve done the right thing. There is some immediate gratification that comes, which we often mistake for God’s approval of our actions. In actuality, all we’re sensing is relief for acting on our feelings and pride for getting our way. Our heart is deceitful, so we can’t always trust our feelings.

2. We can ignore our feelings.

This is the person who, after 30 years of walking with God, seemingly drops off of the face of the earth. For those of us on the outside, it looks like they have turned their back on God and went completely insane. Often what happens is people ignore their feelings for so long that they finally can’t take it anymore. When we do this for so long, we desensitize ourselves. We move from a faith that deals with things into a presumption that ignores reality. Regardless of how tough or spiritual you think you are, the feelings are there and they are going to have to be addressed in some way. This is just one more benefit of being in a community of believers where we can share these feelings and deal with them instead of letting them build and fester.

3. We can examine our feelings.

Many of us think of feelings in a negative sense, but there are times when a feeling of excitement or passion can cause me to make a decision that I wouldn’t normally make. I would imagine that when David took on the challenge of bringing down Goliath, it was proceeded by a strong feeling of “what is this loud mouth saying about my God!?” Jesus wept when he saw Jerusalem, but He didn’t turn around and go home. Our feelings, right or wrong, ARE how we are feeling. Apostle David talked recently about how we shouldn’t live by our feelings and shouldn’t ignore our feelings, but should examine our feelings. If you’re feeling angry, then take some time and evaluate. “Why am I feeling this way? Who am I angry at? When did I start feeling angry? What might make my anger subside?” As much as I don’t like to admit it, IF THE PAIN IS IN ME THE PROBLEM IS IN ME. Don’t just seek relief. Find the pain. Find the problem.

If we will see their proper purpose, our feelings can point us to areas in our life where we need to be healed, stretched, or delivered. They can also point us to areas we are passionate about and need to pursue. Don’t fight the feelings you have. Realize there’s more to them than what you see on the surface and deal with them appropriately.

(First published 07.19.09)

He said WHAT???

“…Who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” I Samuel 17:26

Goliath was a mighty warrior. He had been trained from his youth to be a man of war. His mere presence intimidated the armies of Israel and left them shaking in their shoes, unwilling to do battle against him.

The children of Israel had done battle in the land for many generations by the time Goliath showed up on the scene. They had conquered Canaan land and had defeated all of Goliath’s ancestors. God had given them a land to subdue, and they had exercised their faith in God by taking the land away from the enemy. Where was this same faith, years later, when the seed of the enemy returned to challenge their right and authority to possess the land? Why is it they were afraid of this one giant, when their forefathers had defeated armies of giants?

David was a youth with a call of God on his life. He knew from experience that God had equipped him to defeat any enemy that tried to hinder him. David didn’t sit in the wilderness, crying out to God to save his little sheep from harm. No! Instead, David was a man of action; he acted on his faith. He knew that the same God who gave him the job to protect the flock in the first place, was the same God who would give him the strength and wisdom to keep that flock from lions and bears.

When David heard Goliath, he thought, “What can this one enemy do to me, when my God has called and equipped me to possess this land?” In other words, David was saying, “He said WHAT?!!” So, he gave voice to that thought when he challenged Goliath. But he didn’t stop there. It wasn’t enough to say, “Oh, it’s only an attack of the enemy.” No, David did something. He followed his words up with an action. He took what was in his hands, having faith in God, remembering his past victories, and defeated the enemy. He fought…and it was a good fight of faith.

You have an enemy in your life, challenging you to prove that you have the right to continue possessing your land. Like the armies of Israel, so many of us have forgotten how to fight the good fight of faith. We have forgotten that God is the one who called and equipped us. That God is the one who helped us defeat past enemies. That this same God is the one who has given us tools to defeat this present enemy. After all, the enemy staring you in the face is only the seed. Jesus already defeated Satan and made an open show of him. You already overcame the enemy in your past by standing on the Word and using your faith to possess what Jesus provided for you. This present enemy is only doing what Goliath did – testing you to see if you really believe that this land is yours and that God has equipped you to continue to possess it.

So, look at the enemy in your life rather than cower in fear against it. Challenge that enemy by saying, “Who are you to think you can stop me, a child of God?” Don’t be content to sit by after you have made the challenge. Remind yourself of all the times He has led you in victory in your past. Look to see what the Lord has put in your hands today, and use this to overcome the enemy.

Fight the good fight of faith!

Q: After you declare your victory and act on your promises, you need to testify of the goodness of God. We want to hear testimonies of your victory over the enemy in your life!!!