Faith is not a feeling, it is a choice. In other words we can choose to trust God no matter how things look or we can give up because our feelings are telling us something is hopeless.
Feelings are fickle, and change from one minute to the next, and if we choose to live our lives based on how we are feeling at the time instead of choosing to believe what God says even if it goes against what we feel we end up making choices that are probably not going to bring the outcome we are hoping for.
You hear so many people saying "follow your heart". There is one problem with living your life this way. Jeremiah 17:9-10 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Our hearts or our feelings sometime mislead us into doing things because we subscribe to the false idea that if our heart is telling us to do something it must be what God wants or the right thing.
But if God says our hearts are deceitful, and only He searches and knows our hearts, does it really make sense to base you life choices on "what your heart tells" you? Or is better, to take God at his word and base our choices not on our feelings but what the Word of God says?
In other words if whatever your potential choice is does not line up with the word of God, or contradicts it in anyway, it is not coming from God. And you have to make a choice...either believe God....or go your own way.
When God tells you not to worry about things but you "feel" worried because of things going on in your life...you have a choice....continue to act on that feeling...or listen and actively trust God when he tells you that you don't have to worry because he is in control.
Most divorces are based on people following their "feelings". Love just like faith is a choice, it's an action word not just a mere feeling.
Again, feelings change radically from one minute to the next. It comes down to whether or not you are going to choose to keep your word and the promises you made because it is what God tells us to do....or going to bounce from one person or one thing to another because your feelings have changed.
When I "feel" like my faith is not strong enough I pray these six words..."Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:24
I hang on to the scriptures that tell me God will never let me down, that He has it ALL under control. When He tells me He will give me the faith I need I grab that truth hang on whether I "feel" it or not.
Think about it this way, do you really think Jesus "felt" like going to the cross, going through all the pain, insult and death? If he really had to choose to go through all that based on feeling and not obedience, he would not have prayed:
"And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him." Luke 22:41-43
Every thing in life is a choice. Every time I say that I think of that movie several years ago called Dangerous Minds. In the movie she tells the kids you always have a choice...when you chose not to chose that is in fact a choice.
When a spouse cheats...that is a choice...to say they really didn't have a choice because the other party caused it by not making them feel wanted...it is still a choice...to remain true to vows made or not.
Or the addict who chooses to use...to say I can't help it because I am sick...it is still a choice to use or not use to get help or not get help. Even becoming an addict is basically a choice...it all starts with that first try...the choice to try something because it makes you "feel" better.
Continuing to make the choice time after time to do whatever it is because it changes your how you "feel" ignoring all the evidence of what it will lead to, continuing to choose to use/drink or whatever you become addicted.
And all addictions are just a symptom of a bigger issue, trying to fill that God shaped hole inside with substances, other people, material things, and so on. We are all created to have a relationship with our creator and until that relationship is connected there is a void that nothing else will ever fill....but instead of choosing to reconcile with Him people turn to every thing under the sun...never really being able to fill that void inside. Living life on "feelings" making choices whether right or wrong based on how it will make you feel.
I can choose to lose hope or I can choose to trust God in spite of my feelings. If I chose to make choices on how I feel or how things make me feel and not what God wants then I would be walking in disobedience and choosing to follow my will and not His will.
God is God, creator of all things and if he loves me enough to send his only son, Jesus to die for me (he does love me that much..you too) then it would totally foolish to chose to "follow my heart/feelings" and seek my will instead of choosing to trust Him and seeking His will in all things.
Faith is a choice, Love is a choice. Every area of your life starts and ends with a choice!
