Fact Over Feeling

Let's imagine this: the government just announced stealing is now legal. Anyone can break in anywhere, take whatever they want, and go on their merry way. What could go wrong? Well, for starters, there would be no sense of trust among people, no sense of dependability, and nothing in place to protect you. Ultimately, chaos would break out because anything and everything could be taken from you without punishment. Now, hopefully, this will never happen in real life because God has designed us with an innate ability to determine right from wrong. However, if that’s true, why is there becoming more of a divide regarding issues of morality? Why are things like lying, cheating, stealing, and murder continuously trying to be justified in today's society? The answer is this: we live in a world run by emotions and grounded in the notion that truth is relative.

Morality and truth have become the new cultural norm that continues to shift to better suit our emotions. We change the truth to make us feel better about ourselves and give us an excuse to act however we so choose. Nevertheless, as Christians, we must hold firm to the only absolute truth: The Word of God. The world is attacking Christianity more than ever because it takes a stand against the idea that "what is true for you, isn't true for me". The fact of the matter is that God's wrath will come firmly and swiftly on everyone, just as His salvation is available for anyone who seeks Him. We do not get to determine our own truth; God's word has already written it. We are immoral beings in desperate need of His saving grace, both now and forever. When we take parts of the Bible and decide we can redefine it, we are ultimately saying that our word is better than His. You can’t take some of the Gospel message without taking all of it.

Many people don’t like the Gospel because it doesn’t make them feel “good”. With the Gospel and Salvation comes turning away from sinful behavior. People don’t want to give up what makes them feel good, but they also don’t want to be told that God will judge them accordingly if they don’t. When the world tells you that the truth offends them, remember this: emotional distress does not always equal injustice. In fact, the greatest act of love we can do for someone is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Real love is not just accepting other people's truths, it is sharing the truth of God's Word because their eternal soul is worth more than whatever pain they may experience in the process.

God's Word puts rules in place to keep us safe. Just like the laws against stealing are in place to protect us, God’s authority does the same. God has a divine purpose for all He does. The enemy wants you to choose your emotions over the truth of God's word. So many verses in the Bible warn us that the heart is deceiving, and we should not ground ourselves in emotions (Jeremiah 17: 9, 1 John 3:20, Proverbs 28:26, etc).

Let’s dive deeper into the dangers of letting emotions run our lives. Let's say you feel lonely. If you let this emotion run your life instead of refuting it with God's truth, you're going to be in a rough spot. The emotion will consume your life because you have nothing to stabilize you. There is something in the Bible for just about every emotion you are feeling. For loneliness, God tells us that He is with us always (Joshua 1:9, Psalm 46:7, Psalm 23:4, John 14:17). For anxiety, He says over and over again "Do not fear, for I am with you" (Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 118:6, Deuteronomy 3:22, etc). If you have a Bible, all you have to do is flip to the back and you can find the list of emotions, issues, and struggles with verses that talk about it.

I truly believe this is one of the many reasons why the world is facing a huge mental health crisis. Society is telling you there is no absolute truth. In saying that, it eliminates the only source that can fill the hole in your heart. Let me clarify: friends, family, medication, counseling, etc are all great resources, but God is the source. He is the only thing that can permanently heal your wounds and grant you everlasting joy. God designed our emotions to be informed by truth because facts don't care about feelings. Regardless of how we feel, the Word of God remains the same. So, how God defines you in it remains the same, as well. Jesus chose to die for you and to offer you the gift of salvation. He strengthens you, He forgives you if you ask, and He decided you were worth it. That will remain true today, tomorrow, and forever. Our emotions change by the situations we are in; therefore, they need to be informed and grounded in the reality of the constant Word of God.

Another way emotions can be dangerous is when we base our salvation or standing with God based on how we feel, rather than what God actually says. There are times we will feel distant from God, but that doesn't mean God is distant from us. We may feel God is mad at us because of something we did, but that doesn't mean He actually is (for more information on why bad things might happen to us, check this out). Emotions cause us to look inward which isn't always a bad thing. It can reveal where our heart's loyalties lie. However, we should never look inward to determine our relationship with God. Our emotions will lie and drive a wedge between us and God. They will tell us you are too far gone, God could never forgive you, you aren’t worthy of love, etc which are all things refuted by the Bible. God, ultimately, outlines our relationship with Him, and how we feel will never define our standing with Him.

I want to close with this: in no way am I saying how you are feeling doesn't matter because it does. I am saying your feelings should not define you nor do they grant you an excuse to redefine the truth. If you don’t like how something in the Bible makes you feel, talk to God about it and seek advice from an elder or pastor in the church. Try to determine why it makes you feel that way. The enemy wants to keep you away from God at all costs; don’t let Him manipulate your emotions to do so. In addition, if you are struggling emotionally or mentally, I encourage you to seek help. I have mental health resources linked on the resources tab. If you are in a tough spot, please submit a message or prayer down below. I'd be more than willing to talk and pray with you about it. Most importantly though, I encourage you to lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus. There is a healing, restoration power in Jesus Christ. God's Word is True. That means you are a child of the King, you are worthy, you are loved, and you are defined by the one who died for you.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong. As always, stay rooted, my friend! <3