faith over feelings
- Allie Walker
- Sep 26, 2023
- 3 min read
Hi friends! It has been a minute since I have been on the blog / writing, but I am starting to ease back into it & I am so thankful for this word the Lord has been stirring in my heart the past few weeks.
HAPPY READING!
I was reading an article the other day for a class, and came across this random fact that on average, a person has ~400 emotional experiences a day.... and honestly, when I read that, I kinda of giggled to myself because I feel like where my feet are currently, I may challenge that number a bit lol. I know I am not alone in that.
Whether you are walking through the hardest days of your life right now, or life looks pretty great right now, we are ALL experiencing feelings and emotions on a daily basis.
Those feelings change all the time...based off of daily situations and circumstances
Think about how much you hear "feelings talk"
"I got my feelings hurt..."
"I lost feelings for him/her..."
"My feelings have changed because..."
It makes me wonder... What am I letting lead me? My decisions? Actions? Words?
We are called to live by faith, yet we often find ourselves living by OUR FEELINGS.
Don't get me wrong, feelings are good, important and part of how God made us.
God would not tell us in His word...
Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, make your requests known to Him, and the peace of God that transcends ALL understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Matthew 5:4
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted"
... if He did not know feelings are a thing.
Even Jesus experienced feelings and emotions similar to us.
here are a few noted:
Exhaustion:
Matthew 14:13 - Mark 6:31 - Luke 5:16
Sorrow:
Before Jesus was crucified He wept.
Hebrews 5:7 - Matthew 26:38
Compassion:
Matthew 9:20-22 - Matthew 15:32
How you feel DOES MATTER to God, He created you, He knows exactly how you are knit! ...but it is what we do with those feelings and emotions that speaks volume to our faith as well.
One of the biggest things that affects our FEELINGS AND FAITH is a circumstance we are living through.
The past two months, God has taught me (and still is) so much about feelings and faith... and has tested me to not let how I feel on this day, about this circumstance or this situation, to shake up my faith and foundation rooted in truth... we can't rely on our feelings because our feeling are constantly changing.
Like sand.
Sand is always being moved on the beach. whether its by waves, wind, feet walking through it... in the same way is our feelings.
Our feelings change with the wind and waves too. (wind and waves being people or circumstances).
So many times these past few weeks I have found myself in a pool of feelings over the recent loss of Ben to cancer. I've never walked through grief before.
It truly is a FEELING I can't describe. I am sure many of you can relate.
One moment I feel happy and distracted at practice surrounded by my team and the next I am sad and confused.
BUT...
When our faith is tested, we must choose to live out what we believe.
It’s easy to 'have faith' when things are going our way.
But even when we were not getting the results we were praying for, Ben lived every day he had here on Earth exemplifying a faith that was NEVER dictated by how he was feeling... because he stayed rooted in the truth.
No matter if he was having a good day, or having the toughest day and could not even walk... though He could not physically walk, He never stopped walking out a faith that inspired us all and a faith that led him home.
Even when it made no sense.
Hebrews 11:1 says:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Faith is not about “wishful thinking” or a sort of “blind optimism”
Faith is the confidence in the character of God.
Confidence that the same God who brought us here, will take us there.
Our faith can be rock solid if we place it on the solid One. The Eternal One.
The One who is and whose word is NEVER CHANGING. That is a gift.
Don't allow your feelings to define who God is. Allow YOUR GOD to define YOUR FEELINGS with His word, His will, His grace, His love and His goodness.
you're amazing!
keep fighting froward, friend
AW
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