Feelings are a Gauge, Not a Guide

October 24, 2024

There is a strong belief in our culture that influences every one of us, whether we want it to or not: If it feels good or if it feels right, do it.

But this kind of thinking allows you to be manipulated by your moods—making you live according to your feelings. God wants you to live a different kind of life. He wants you to live a life of faith, not a life of feelings.

And, don’t get me wrong, your feelings matter. God gave you the ability to feel. But, feelings can’t go ABOVE faith. We can’t allow our feelings to control us. Feelings can give us some great information, but feelings shouldn’t control us. Your feelings are a gauge, not a guide.

The Bible is quick to tell us that our feelings (or hearts, more accurately) can’t be trusted.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5).

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered (Prov. 28:26).

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9).

We can’t wait for our feelings to agree with what God has asked us to do in faith. Because, we don’t always feel like doing the right thing. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always feel like being nice to people. I don’t always feel like stopping what I’m doing to help someone. I don’t always feel like believing God’s promises for my life.

But our goal as believers is to develop the kind of faith that persists above feelings. Again, not ignoring them completely, but choosing to move forward in faith over feelings.

It’s like an Olympic athlete exercising when she doesn’t feel like it or a great musician practicing his craft, even when he’s tired. It’s the same with your relationship with God.

Through the example of Moses, the Bible shows us how to begin to develop persistence. Hebrews 11:27 says, “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (NLT).

That’s how you get there. That’s how you persist. You begin to see the invisible. You keep your focus on God, and you choose to move in forward in faith.

What are you led by? What directs your decisions, actions, words, and thoughts? Faith… or feelings?