Feelings, like fog, can hide many facts. It takes focus and patience to see beyond the haze of foggy feelings. It’s easy to follow feelings and forgo facts, however, in reality, feelings are often nothing more than emotional illusions.
Some people say that feelings can’t be controlled. Of course they can. You’ve overcome and/or refused to act out many feelings. The idea that feelings aren’t controllable is a myth that makes many people miserable. You can train yourself to act contrary to your feelings. You have free will, not feeling dictated will.
If you always do what you feel, you’ll be like a truck wheel — continually going round and round while carrying a heavy load. Letting your feelings tell you what to think and do, guarantees a life of instability.
Feelings are fickle. They’re frequently false and often lead us into self-destructive behaviors. The follow your feelings mentality usually leads straight to a slow downward spiral. Logic and honest reasoning can avoid deception much more effectively than trusting your feelings can.
Feelings aren’t final and often misrepresent and distort reality. Following false feelings creates much pain and misery. As humans, we can let our thoughts follow our feelings, or we can train our feelings to follow our thoughts.
Feelings can sneak up on you, but you don’t have to welcome bad ones. Instead, you have the inner right to resist and refute them! Sort thru your feelings. Nurture the positive, healthy ones. Begin to resist and root out the negative, harmful ones. Sometimes it’s good to hurt your own feelings by refusing to act on negative or destructive ones. Don’t spare your feelings. Repair them and make them align with wisdom.
True love goes way beyond feelings. It’s based on commitment and kindness, not on mere emotion. It’s good to feel love, but Christ-followers are called to show and share love whether we feel it or not.
Anger is a feeling that provokes people into letting their mouth (or keypad) work faster than their brain. Kindness communicates with compassion.
The option to smile is always available (no matter how you feel). You can even choose smiling when you feel sad. Try it. It might make you feel better.
To feel that wrong is right, is like feeling that down is up. Both are deception. All feelings are not created equal. Use self-control. Cultivate the helpful ones, work to eliminate the harmful ones.
Align your feelings with your conscience, not your conscience with your feelings. Don’t do it if your conscience says “no,” no matter how good it may feel. When you feel a desire to do something wrong, that’s temptation. When you do it, that’s wrongdoing.
Some feelings should never be welcomed, expressed or obeyed. The Bible says: “Guard your heart.” The living Jesus can give you the power to drive out tormenting or destructive feelings. Give Him a chance!
Our culture calls us to follow our feelings. Christ calls us to follow Him and His will. Feelings change — the living Jesus doesn’t. Follow Him. The living Jesus changes people from the inside out — from character, thoughts, and feelings, to words and actions. Whatever you delight in, you invite into your life.
I’ve been changed by Jesus & I’ve seen too many other people changed by Him to ever doubt His reality and His power. If you truly change your perspective, you’re feelings will change. The Bible calls that repentance. For a great change in perspective, search for: The Joy Of Early Christianity.
