Have you ever noticed that your feelings and emotions are not a reliable source for determining truth or deciphering the right course of action? One minute they are telling you that everything is going to be okay, and moments later, they are screaming at you that your world is falling apart. They tell you to overindulge on the sweet craving you have after a meal or to get angry and fly-off-the-cuff because you are offended by what a family member or coworker said to you. Many times, they tell you to have the last word in an argument with a spouse, to hold a grudge or to quit an assignment prematurely because the way forward seems too hard or uncomfortable at the time. If left unchecked your feelings and emotions can lead you far off course from God’s best. That’s why it’s so important if we are going to live out our God-given destiny to the fullest and become the mature Believers God wants us to be, we will have to learn to live above these fickle sensations. Instead of letting them lead or rule us, we have to discover what it means to be led by a higher authority – God and His Word, the Bible.
In Romans 8:14 it says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
This means that as followers of Christ, we serve a greater master than our feelings and emotions; we serve God and have the privilege to be led by Him as His children.
We can’t help the way we feel about any given situation, whether they’re feelings of anger, laziness, fear, loneliness, unworthiness…etc. These types of emotions come to all of us because we are human. And they are valid. However, just because we ‘feel’ a certain way doesn’t mean we have to follow our emotions. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, and by spending regular time in God’s Word and in prayer, we can learn to recognize truth from lies and respond in a way that’s pleasing and honoring to God. We can stand on the trustworthiness of Scripture rather than our feelings and emotions.
Here are some practical steps that will help you live above your feelings and emotions.
- Don’t be quick to respond when your feelings and emotions are stirred up.
James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says in James 1:19-20 NLT, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” When we react to any given situation, we can say and do things that are hurtful to others and we will more than likely regret those actions later. Instead, a better approach would be to step away from the situation and calm down. Then ask for God’s help and wisdom to respond in a way that brings life and healing at the appropriate time. I’ve learned from lots of trial and error that when my feelings and emotions are all tense, it’s difficult to do what’s right in the heat of the moment. That’s why God wants us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. In doing so, we will be in a much better frame of mind to respond in a God-honoring way.
- Stand on the truth of God’s Word and His promises above your feelings.
When you are in a situation and your feelings are telling you one thing, ask yourself this question: Does what I am feeling align with the God’s Word and His promises about me, my situation and others?
For example, you may ‘feel’ like God is a million miles away and He has abandoned you. You know that isn’t true because the Bible declares that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). You can combat those negative feelings with truth and stand on the promises of God. In other words, you can live above the way you feel in the moment because you can choose to trust and believe God’s faithfulness.
Another example could be if you ‘feel’ like you can’t be forgiven because of a mistake you’ve made. The enemy keeps shouting condemning accusations against you, so you feel beat down and discouraged. You don’t have to just agree with these feelings of despair and the enemy’s lies. You can speak back to those lies with the truth of God’s Word, which is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). In Christ you are forgiven and in right standing with God (Romans 8:1, Colossians 1:22.) Choose to believe this truth right now by faith above the way you feel.
Or maybe someone did something to you that was extremely hurtful and your feelings are telling you to hold a grudge. You know in your heart you are to forgive because of the incredible debt Christ forgave you of. Remember, we don’t have to live according to our feelings. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. So, you can feel anger or resentment but still make a conscious decision to forgive the person. You can choose to show kindness and mercy. Over time, your feelings will catch up to what you know is true as you take steps to do what’s right.
- Live by faith, not by sight.
The Bible teaches us that the righteous shall live by faith, not by sight.
Our feelings are not always an indication of what’s actually true. For example, God promised to lead the Israelites into the land He swore to give them as their inheritance. He conquered the mighty Egyptians who were enslaving His people right before their eyes. They saw His miraculous power and provision for them every step of the way, yet, when they came up against other enemies, they became fearful and refused to trust God. They chose to believe their current reality instead of the faithfulness of God. And because of it, they never entered the Promise Land.
It was true that they had to face real enemies, that they had to go to battle, and that it was uncomfortable walking through the hot, dry desert. And it was scary facing those powerful enemies and the unknown. But it wasn’t the whole truth. Here is the key; they failed to remember that God, who knows the end from the beginning, was fighting for them and was faithful to His promises over and over again, including taking them into the land He said He would give them. The Israelites let what they saw in the natural consume their thinking above what God spoke to them. God wanted them to trust Him by faith, not by sight. The same is true for us. God wants us to live above the way we feel. He is asking us to trust Him and His Word. When you do, you will step into the amazing plan God has marked out for you in His perfect timing. Is it easy? No. But with God’s help, it’s possible and incredibly rewarding!
What feelings are you allowing to put you into a negative space or keep you from living your best life right now?
It’s time to cast those negative thoughts down and replace them with God’s truth. It’s time to rise above your feelings. They have ruled your life long enough.
One last thing to remember. Don’t get discouraged because you are still a work in progress. Join the club; we all are. It takes time to have our minds renewed and our behavior transformed. Rely on God’s grace when you fall short. His mercies are new every morning and He is eager to help you get back up and keep learning. Make the decision today to start living above your feelings.
