Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Trust God, Not Your Feelings
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12 NIV).
Have you ever heard the expression, “trust your gut.” This speaks to our natural desire to go with our feelings. If it feels right, it must be right. The problem is that often what feels right to us is not always right to God. The Bible teaches about a time when the world was in anarchy because of this attitude: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Today, do we do what feels right or do we live a prayerful life and invite the Holy Spirit to be present and guide us in our decisions so they bring honor and glory to Him rather than pleasure to us?
If you reflect back on the poor decisions in your life, they are likely decisions that were made based on emotions and not prayer. Yes, God gave us our feelings but that does not mean that all of our emotions are good. For example, we have the ability to be jealous and envious, but Scripture speaks at length that these feelings are to be avoided.
Emotional-based decisions are particularly dangerous when it comes to major decisions such as marriage and children, divorce, and new relationships after a divorce. “After people get divorced, they rush into a new relationship because they hurt,” says Dr. Myles Munroe. “They believe the secret to relieving the hurt is a new relationship, which is the worst thing a person can do. If you get remarried and you’re still hurting, you are taking your hurt into another relationship, and that is going to become the foundation of the relationship, which is faulty.”
When you are making decisions regarding a new relationship, do not make decisions based on your feelings. Our feelings are temporal and not always rational, no matter how strong that may feel. It is important to take the time to grow and to build your life on a strong foundation. The Old Testament is full of stories of people that made emotional-based decisions that displeased God and prayerful decisions that honored God. Decisions that honor God will bring about His favor and blessing.
One of my favorite Bible verses comes from Joshua 24:15. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” If we are to truly serve Him, the we are to make decisions that honor Him by inviting Him to be present and walk with us. The alternative is not very inviting. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD’” (Jeremiah 17:5). Serve the LORD and be blessed.
Prayer: Dear God: Great is thy faithfulness. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Lessons From Gideon
Lessons From Gideon “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive” (Judges 6:15-16 NIV).I love the story of Gideon as told in Judges chapters 6-8. Below are a few of the many lessons that we can learn from this Holy Scripture.1. You Shall Have no Other Gods but MeThe Israelites were worshipping the false god Baal, and for seven years the Israelites were under the... -
Be Specific In Prayer
Be Specific In Prayer “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV). If you have a specific need, you need to make a specific request. We all have specific needs (health, financial, family, etc.), but many of us approach prayer with general requests. ... -
Boundaries Benefit All
Boundaries Benefit All "Moses’ father-in-law replied, What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone" (Exodus 18:17-18 NIV).I just finished reading a book called “Boundaries” by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend. It is a New York Times Bestseller and has sold over two million copies since it was first published in 1992 and then revised in 2017. This is a Christian book that uses appropriate Scripture to help readers take control of their lives by learning when...