Faith/Feelings
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Tuesday, March 7th, 2023
I’ve written often about feelings and how they play an important part of our Christian walk…both good and bad.
It is good, and it is necessary, to have emotions. After all, happy, sad, laughter, tears, anger, and others are part of our DNA. To deny them is not honesty. An emotionless person is a…well…a sad person. That’s not an emotional sad, but a person devoid of emotion is more like a robot.
On the other hand, some people are way too emotional. It’s like they are on the edge of reality, seemingly losing control at the drop of a hat.
Neither one is good. Nor is it good to have your emotions run your Christian walk. Do you remember the lyrics to the song “You Light Up My Life” from the 70s (1977 to be exact) sung by Debby Boone? Part of the lyrics were “It can’t be wrong; it feels so right.” Put that in scenarios. “It can’t be wrong to have this illicit relationship because it feels so right.” “It can’t be wrong to take this drug because it makes me feel so good.” You can figure there is more.
Feelings can be, and mostly are, deceptive. Subjectivism is dangerous. People who rely on the “reality” of subjectivism forget the objectivism of faith. The truth of the Bible takes a back seat to our feelings. “Hell can’t be real because God is love and wouldn’t condemn anyone,” for example. “Surely this relationship can’t be wrong since it makes me feel good and God would not want anything less for me.” Truth takes a back seat. I heard a good quote the other day on a podcast. I was unable to catch who it is attributed to, but it came from a book called Mama Bear Apologetics:
Feelings are a good check engine light but a terrible GPS.
Don’t allow subjective feelings to override the truth of God’s Word. Feelings are good, a must to have. But to be directed and led by them is dangerous. Feelings will lead us down the wrong path; only truth will set us free.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Faith/Feelings, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Truth Telling
Monday, March 6th, 2023
This past Saturday afternoon Jo and I went with some friends to see Jesus Revolution. It has surprised many pundits at the box office, taking in more than they ever predicted or maybe even dreamed of. My purpose here is not to give a review but to make a point about one of the characters.
The movie is about the early “story” of Pastor Greg Laurie’s search for meaning and hope in a world gone mad (some things never change do they?). It was a lesson though that Pastor Greg learned many years later-far removed from those Jesus Movement days-that sticks with me. On July 25, 2008, Greg’s son, Christopher, died in a car accident he was responsible for. As you can imagine, Greg was devastated beyond words. I have 2 daughters and I simply cannot imagine the grief and pain I would feel if they were taken from this life.
But through his pain, Greg received some great words of wisdom from his mentor, Pastor Chuck Smith. Smith said,
“Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”
With that in mind, what do I know?
- I know that God loves me.
- I know that God wants what is best for me (even though I can’t see it).
- I know God has a plan for my life and knows the end of my days.
- I know God has promised to never leave me or forsake me.
- I also know God doesn’t always give me what I want and sometimes I have to wait for His answer.
Sometimes God doesn’t answer prayers as quickly as I want or would like Him to. But He will not let me down. Delays are not necessarily denials. Sometimes we have those dark nights of the soul.
So…the next time you or I feel abandoned; the next time you or I feel alone; the next time you or I feel God is not listening “Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”
I heard it said recently: “Feelings are a great check engine light, but a terrible GPS.” Don’t trust your feelings. Trust the ONE whom you know.
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Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Story, Suffering, Trials, Trust
Tuesday, January 24th, 2023
I may be wrong in my assessment (I have been known to be wrong a time or two) 🙂 , but I think one of the hardest parts of the Christian walk is practicing the Scripture which says, “Be thankful in all things.” (I Thess. 5:18)
“In everything give thanks.” Seriously? Does the Bible really say that? Does it really say to give thanks when my heart has been torn apart by a wayward child? By a health crisis? By a domestic crisis? By a financial crisis?
The short answer is Yes. Notice it does not say “Give thanks for the event/crisis.” But it does say, “Give thanks in the crisis.” Let’s substitute during for in. While the crisis is happening, or even after it, I am to give thanks.
I can remember a story from Corrie Ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place. She and her sister, Betsy, were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp and her sister told her they needed to give thanks for the fleas-the fleas that were in their hair, their clothes, their bedding. Sounded strange to Corrie until they came to realize the guards left them alone because of the fleas. They were free to have Bible studies and talk to other prisoners about Jesus because of the fleas and without fear of the guards.
Giving thanks in the situation NOT for the fleas. We are not asked to go all stoic as though nothing is bothering us. No, we are being told by Paul that while we are in the crisis, an attitude of gratitude and faith can change our perspective.
We can also see God working…even though we don’t understand. I don’t have to say, “Father, thank You for this cancer” (or whatever the crisis is), but I can pray, “Father, I thank You for Your presence and peace that is within me in spite of this crisis.”
Be thankful in all things.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Opinion, Prayer, Reflection, Suffering, Thanksgiving
Thursday, January 12th, 2023
Look around. It is easy to get discouraged.
-A 6 year old shoots his teacher. He got a hold of his mother’s gun and took it to class.
-4 college students in Idaho are murdered.
-Healthy, fit athletes have “medical events” and collapse, some die.
-My retirement (such as it was) took a huge hit in 2022.
-Eggs are $6 a dozen. $6!!!
-Overdoses and suicides are reaching alarming heights.
-Loss of a loved one. Loss of a job. Wayward child. Loss of faith. The list is endless.
So is discouragement. David experienced it. “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” (Read the rest in Psalm 42:11)
Moses was so downcast at one point about the Israelites that he asked God to take his life. Elijah, after his victory against the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, ran and hid out from the wrath of Jezebel. He wanted to die. Jeremiah. Even Paul was overwhelmed from time to time.
Discouragement is a normal reaction. Life is hard and all we see are mountains, rocky paths, and never-ending obstacles.
But we have a promise from God that He is faithful. His love never ends and His presence never disappears. His steadfastness never wavers and His faithfulness never changes.
I don’t always know what is coming. No one does. I don’t always know where it will end up. No one does. I just know wherever that is, God will be there to meet me.
Even when I can’t “see” Him, I can trust Him. As I read recently: “We can trust His heart, even when we can’t see His path.”
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Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God, Lifestyle, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Suffering
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023
I read this morning in Our Daily Bread about how some volunteers from a rescue organization in Australia found a wandering sheep weighed down by more than 75 pounds of filthy, matted wool. They figured it had been forgotten and lost in the bush for at least 5 years. They were able to sheer it and soon the sheep (named Baarack) began to eat and his legs grew stronger. It thrived in the environment of his rescuers and the other animals.
It started me thinking about people, about how so many are weighed down by excess weight (not physical) and baggage. Some of it is simply the cares of life. Some of it is baggage of their own making from their past.
I’m reminded of a song (click here). It says, “I’m no longer a slave to fear/I am a child of God.” There are way too many people who are slaves to fear, shame, unconfessed sin, regret, and a whole host of other baggage.
Just like Baarack needed his rescuers to slowly sheer away his excessive weight of tangled, matted wool, so do many of us. God, through His Spirit, sets us free. He desires to make us new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). His Word tells us that “he whom the Son has set free is free indeed.”
Are you carrying excess baggage these days? Are you weighed down by sin and shame and regret? Be sheered and let God’s Spirit set you free.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, Forgiveness, God's Word, Jesus, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection
Thursday, September 8th, 2022
In yesterday’s devotion I wrote about Principle #5:
God’s will is a flashlight, not a crystal ball; walk to the edge of the darkness and wait.
That got me thinking how some approach God’s Word (GW) with what I called the “crystal ball” or “floodlight” approach. Before I go any further though, I need to say one or two very important thoughts:
- I firmly believe GW is inspired by God and is totally inerrant (without error). I base that on 2 Tim. 3: 14-17, especially verse 16.
- I also firmly believe it is God’s primary way of speaking to His people. All things, all claims of people saying, “God told me this or that” must have their foundation in GW. For someone to say, for example, “I killed those people because God told me to” is hogwash and the person is either psychologically delusional or fishing for a reason to justify sin. God will NEVER violate His Word.
With those thoughts in mind, there are those who treat GW like a crystal ball or expect a floodlight to shine down on them with a neon sign and say, “Do this!” Some even expect a floodlight to highlight a verse. You have probably heard the story of the man who used this approach by opening his Bible and pointing to a verse. It said, “Judas went out and hung himself.” He hurriedly closed his Bible and opened it again and pointed to another verse. It said, “What your hand finds to do do it with all your might.” That wasn’t what he wanted to hear either so he closed his Bible, opened it and pointed and the verse said, “What your hand finds to do, do quickly.” That is the shotgun approach many take to finding guidance in GW. It is like they are expecting the Bible to be a crystal ball, rub it and all truth will come out. It is like they expect that approach to give them all the insight they need to make a right decision and to know God’s will.
Nope. While I believe GW is living and active, I don’t believe it is a crystal ball telling us what to do and when to do it. God has given each of His children the Holy Spirit and that Spirit leads and guides us. But he will never lead us to act contrary to the Word. God guides us by His Word and shows me the path I am to walk, but there is no neon sigh that lights up, either in GW or in life, which says, “Choose me!” I go back to my friend’s statement (see August 17 post) where he said, “Bill, choose the one. In any case, even if it is the wrong one, God will not abandon you.” He was right.
God will never lead us astray. The Holy Spirit will never say, “Go your own way.” Pray. Seek His will. Read His Word for wisdom and guidance and strength to follow. Walk with Him to the edge and wait. To borrow a few lines from The Trail:
If God loves me, then He protects me. He guides me by His Word and shows me the path to walk. A safe path, because He knows where the danger lies. So I walk to the edge of the darkness and wait. (p.110)
God’s Word is a lamp not a crystal ball to rubbed, nor is it a floodlight that will shine down to highlight an action to take. We are given His Spirit and a mind to make decisions that will always be in line with GW.
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Tags: Choices, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, God's Word, Ministry, Opinion, Prayer, Reflection, Story, Truth Telling
Wednesday, August 31st, 2022
If I were to conduct a man-on-the-street interview with Christ-followers, I’d ask this question: “When it comes to God answering your prayers, what is one of the hardest and most frustrating things for you to accept and understand?” IMHO I think one of the #1 answers would have to do with timing. Why did He wait so long? Why didn’t God answer sooner? If God knew what I needed, why did He wait to give it to me? Why not spare me the heartache that came with waiting?
Timing. Makes a vehicle run right. Makes a meal come together at just the right time, a la Beat Bobby Flay. 🙂 Timing really is everything. I’m certainly no gourmet cook (I can burn water) but I do know it is good to have things come together at the right time.
In fact, stop for a moment and read a passage of Scripture dedicated to timing: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8. But don’t stop there! Keep reading because one of the most powerful and beautiful verses comes in verse 11: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (ESV) There was an old praise and worship song in the early ’80s by the Maranatha Singers called In His Time. (Click on the song title for a video link of the song). It was straight out of this verse. I remember singing it at night when I laid in bed struggling about my future. Sometimes that was all I had to hang onto (or so I thought).
I know God has a plan for my life, for yours. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (You can read verses 24-26 on our own. They are powerful).
All of this to relate Principle #4 to you:
God’s signature on events is timing.
I’ll try to flesh that out more tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can add #4 to the list of three I gave in yesterday’s devotion.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Questions, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Surrender
Thursday, August 25th, 2022
This post is a continuation of yesterday’s devotion.
You must first read Psalm 139 in its totality. Get yourself a good grasp of it.
Yesterday I talked about intimacy. I wrote this: “There is a bare bones honesty David is yearning for. As Augustine is credited with saying, ‘Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.’ ”
One can’t help but read this psalm and not see David’s heart for God. He is searching for intimacy and in the process is inviting God into the deepest recesses of His heart. In my mind it is like David is throwing open every door to every room in his heart and saying, “Make Yourself at home. There is no room, no place, You cannot enter. There is no room off limits to You.”
That is never a comfortable place to be in. We all have secrets that we are withholding from others. An addiction. A thought. An action. Tragically, like David tried, we can hide it from people but can never hide it from God.
The following thoughts come from the book, The Trail, by Ed Underwood…the book I have been trying to dissect. There are three question followed by three requests.
Q#1- (Verses 1-6)- Do you appreciate my circumstances? Answer: Yes, of course He does. His knowledge of my circumstances couldn’t be more exact. It’s overwhelming.
Q#2- (Verses 7-12)- Are you near? Answer: He’s everywhere. We couldn’t get away from Him if we tried.
Q#3- (Verses 13-18)- Do you understand me? Answer: David let us know that is an absurd question when we consider that God formed us in the womb and He is preoccupied with thoughts of us.
Finally, 3 requests he makes- (Verses 19-24)- Deliver me. Search me. Guide me.
That’s about it for today. I’ll stop there because that is a lot to think about. My request is that you reread Psalm 139 with the questions and answers in front of you. And then ask, “How do I feel about this? How will I allow it to change me today? If you care to share your experience in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.
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Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God, God's Plan, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Truth Telling
Tuesday, August 16th, 2022
INSTALLMENT #1
The basis for The Trail by Ed Underwood (see my August 15 post) is that God’s will is not some thing that is mystical or otherworldly (my words). We make it out to be that way as we search here and there; throw out fleece after fleece; say “If this happens a certain way or time then I’ll know” and other ideas like that.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is clear: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Some translations say: “He will direct your paths.”
I think…(and this is my thought so blame me if you disagree 🙂 )…we have such trouble with knowing God’s will, and then even following it, because we like to have control. Different personalities look at life differently, and even having control differently. There are some who like to fly by the seat of their pants. Sort of like “go with the flow”. There are those who like to have some control. They enjoy the adventure but still want to kinda, sorta have some control. Then there are those who want to know every twist and turn, every nook and cranny of following Jesus. What’s next? What’s around the corner?
That phrase “He will direct your paths” is key. Why? Because it takes faith to follow. Like holding the hand of a parent, a child trusts his father/mother to lead him/her to safety or in the correct direction. There is security in that hand. The opposite of faith is control. How different it is for a child to hold the hand of their parent and go willingly vs holding the hand and constantly tugging or fighting. In most cases, the parent knows best (given our humanness); the child is wise to follow. “God doesn’t need your strength to guide you, but you do need His strength to recognize His guidance.” (p.14)
The reality is that we will never understand all that is ahead. God is not asking us to. But He is asking us to trust Him. Frankly, if I understand all that is ahead that puts me in the “I-am-God-category” and personally I am just not ready to say that! 🙂 Isaiah 42:8 (which I read this morning) says, “I am the Lord, that is My Name. I will not give my glory to another; nor My power to idols.”
Nope. God won’t share His place with anyone. That means I need to trust His wisdom and accept His strength.
First principle from My Trail: “God doesn’t need your strength to guide you, but you do need to trust His strength to recognize His guidance.”
“Father, help me to do as Proverbs 3 is telling me: not to rely on my own wisdom and strength, but on Yours. I’m not God; You are. Help me be willing to follow Your direction.”
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Leadership, Ministry, My Trail, Opinion, Reflection, Story, Surrender
Tuesday, August 9th, 2022
Have you ever read a passage of Scripture-least you think you have-and not have it register? Then one time you read it and BAM! the light goes on. This morning was one of those times.
The Scripture in the spotlight: Isaiah 37: 14-20. (Please take a moment and read it).
Sennacherib (S), the Assyrian king, planned to invade Judah. He sent his lackeys to threaten and badger Hezekiah into surrendering and not trust God. God surely would not save them. Outgunned and out-manned, Hezekiah does something totally unusual: he takes the letter from S, reads it, then heads to the temple and lays it out before God. Then he prays. It was not an “I’m scared spitless and don’t know what to do” kind of prayer. It was simply a prayer that acknowledged God’s power and might, Hezekiah’s weakness against S, and his trust that God would save them.
God answers Hezekiah’s prayer through Isaiah. I like the words Isaiah says in verse 21: “Because you have prayer to me (God) about S…” God is acknowledging Hezekiah’s correct response to the threat.
Now watch the result. Verses 36-38 -> 185,000 Assyrians dead. Not by Hezekiah’s hand or his army. “The angel of the Lord went out and struck…” Hezekiah didn’t lift a finger. S went home in disgrace and was eventually assassinated by his own sons.
Hezekiah averted a disaster by going to God first. What a great lesson! Instead of moving in his own strength (to sure defeat); relying on his own army; or even surrendering to S, he went to God and laid it all out before Him.
There’s gotta be a lesson there! 🙂
“Father, may I not fret and worry and scheme in my own strength. Let me bring it all before You, lay it all before You, and trust You implicitly. “
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Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God, God's Plan, Opinion, Prayer, Reflection, Scripture look, Surrender, Trust
