Feelings.
They aren’t to be ignored.
But they AREN’T to be leaders.
Feelings are HORRIBLE leaders!
…unless your goal is to get to nowhere (or worse), in which case absolutely follow your feelings.
If I let my feelings lead me, I’d still be in bed right now. I’d be ordering fast food (for delivery), and I’d be skipping church tonight. I’d have a movie playing in the background, and ice cream on its way to me. I’d turn off my phone and stop engaging with the world until I felt like tuning back in.
I don’t FEEL like being around people.
I don’t FEEL like cooking myself nutritious food.
I don’t FEEL like being up and at ‘em right now.
I don’t FEEL like being cheery.
I don’t FEEL like going for a walk in the sunshine.
Sometimes life is just plain HARD.
Things happen.
People are hurting.
Frustrations are gripping.
Communication is lacking.
Circumstances aren’t ideal.
But THANK GOD that He gave me the whole fruit basket (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control – NONE of which are “feelings”).
He has already equipped me to handle this with Him, and HE is good for it. I can fully rest in Him, and I don’t have to navigate hard things on my own.
I don’t have to pretend things are hunky-dory.
I don’t have to do this in my own strength.
I don’t have to grit my teeth and brace for impact.
I don’t have to succumb to the almost magnetic feeling of my feelings.
I don’t have to just snap out of it.
I don’t have to hold back my tears.
I don’t have to keep everything inside until it’s all better.
I cry, and I talk to God about it. I ask my friends for prayer, and I CHOOSE to get up and go for a walk anyway. Even with everything storming around me, I CHOOSE to go to church tonight.
Sometimes life feels very black and white. Sometimes it feels full color. God is with us in ALL of it.
