Feelings or Faith?

Feelings Have Become Dominant Advertising – Feelings more than Facts. Art – Feelings more than beauty. Politics – Feelings more than Policies. Workplace – Feelings more than Duty.

Some Areas of More Serious Consequence

Drug Use — Feelings Rather than Discretion Everyone knows the consequences. Why do people continue to do it? “It feels good.” Problem: When you wake up (Prov. 23:29-35). Heaven offers the same “benefits,” but you have to have faith to see it and to wait for it.

Family Life— Feelings Rather than Love. Stable families are built on Biblical love (commitment). Marriages ending because “Lost the feeling.” “Undo the ‘I do.’” “Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8)— Feelings are fickle. Children are neglected because parents don’t “feel like” making the necessary sacrifices.

Religion—Feelings rather than Faith Once religion was based on beliefs to be defended—Now, “I feel this is what is best for me.” Worship is judged by the warm feeling it produces. Churches are chosen for their “friendliness.” “Good feelings” often equated with the Holy Spirit. Many of us do only what we “feel like” doing in attending worship or helping others or evangelizing. We may be silent at times out of concern for having “our feelings hurt by ridicule or rejection.”

God created feelings, but they are to be regulated by faith. Pain of a guilty conscience. Sorrow for the sins of others. Fear of future punishment. Joy and gladness in doing what is right. To produce repentance (Acts 2:37). To encourage efforts to save them (Jude 22-23). To discourage sin (Galatians 5:19-25). To encourage continuing obedience (Matt. 5:11-12).

“It will do me no good if I don’t feel like doing it.” Abraham offering Isaac? Moses going back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh? Daniel telling his superior he would not eat the king’s foods? 3 Hebrews standing when others were bowing? Jesus going to the cross?

We were called to suffer—not to feel good! “When you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:20-21).

Faith has its reward! “We walk by faith”— not by feeling! “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:16-18)  “We walk by faith”— not by feeling!