Faith and feelings
- Thread starter Trusting
- Start date
Curtis
Loyal
Our flesh has 5 physical feelings of hearing, tasting, seeing, smelling, and touch. These are not what we use to walk by "faith". Faith also has senses, but they do not come from our flesh, they come from the rebirth human spirit. Jesus said he only spoke what he heard his father say, and he only did what he saw his father do. It was not with the physical senses of his flesh that he heard or saw his father working. There is no way anyone can "lay hold" upon eternal life as the bible tells us to do with any part of our flesh. There is no way anyone can "taste and see that the Lord is good" using any part of our physical body, but that is what we are supposed to be doing!
All believers need to learn how to "exercise" their spiritual senses if we want to understand the deep things of God as the Apostle Paul told us.
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hekuran
Faithful Brother in Christ
By feelings we mean emotions, right? delight, anger, fear, contentment, disgust, elation, despair, excitement, hatred. If we diminish, repress or neglect any of these emotions for a sustained period of time, then we're heading for disaster.
We can't choose our emotions, but we can choose how to respond to them. I feel angry: I could nurture that anger so that it grows into resentment, bitterness or hatred. Or I could recognise my anger as a sign that there's a problem that needs to be dealt with (before the sun goes down, preferably).
Equally, if feelings become our guiding principle, then we will be led into trouble. Yesterday I was sad, today I am happy.
Imagine you're taking a long journey by foot over unknown terrain in changeable weather. You'd be a fool to travel completely according to the weather. If your destination is west, you can't just head east because the wind is blowing that way.
On the other hand, any sensible traveller will take good note of the weather conditions and adjust accordingly. Sometimes detours are necessary, or conditions are favourable and you can press ahead faster than anticipated. Sometimes, in order to get to where you need to go safely, you just need to hunker down and shelter until a storm has passed.
We can't choose our emotions, but we can choose how to respond to them. I feel angry: I could nurture that anger so that it grows into resentment, bitterness or hatred. Or I could recognise my anger as a sign that there's a problem that needs to be dealt with (before the sun goes down, preferably).
Equally, if feelings become our guiding principle, then we will be led into trouble. Yesterday I was sad, today I am happy.
Imagine you're taking a long journey by foot over unknown terrain in changeable weather. You'd be a fool to travel completely according to the weather. If your destination is west, you can't just head east because the wind is blowing that way.
On the other hand, any sensible traveller will take good note of the weather conditions and adjust accordingly. Sometimes detours are necessary, or conditions are favourable and you can press ahead faster than anticipated. Sometimes, in order to get to where you need to go safely, you just need to hunker down and shelter until a storm has passed.
I think i have been letting my feelings lead me. Yes foolish
an even smarter traveler will seek out the advice from one who knows the safest route and hearken to Him and the advice given
Bless you ....><>
@Trusting
Greetings,
How are you doing now?
Would you like to discuss this some more or have a bit more food for thought and preferably Scripture to help you in what you are seeking?
--------------------
this came to mind as i posted ....
a quick note i will add, is that we do need to remember who we serve and who we give allegiance to, who dictates our peace or lack of it.
Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith as both Lord and King and if and when emotions are running hot or cold or even lukewarm, grab hold of the situation and decide to let the peace of God rule in your heart.
The idea of 'let' is much as a royal or dignitary, a King or Queen, might pass on their 'will' about any certain matter.
As Children of the Most High God, we have the 'royalty' and we can and ought to go about our days with the same definite knowing of a King or Queen (or prince or princess, etc)
So, back to. let the peace of God rule in your heart and mind.... it translates sort of as, you making it as a decree and as it turns out, you are following that decree!
How it all pans out is that you remind yourself (with the Help of the LORD) that the things or person or situation that is leaving you emotional are not God the LORD and while you can still love them, you choose to put God first and you want to have His peace AND He wants you to have it and when push come to shove, only the Lord can really give us peace, especially the peace that we really need... so, we do well to let the peace of God rule.
Why exalt any other thing or person or situation above the Lord Jesus Christ?
Loving God first does not mean 'not loving' anyone else but we are able to relate and interact better when we remember to go about loving the LORD first and having His peace in His love, to love with.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:12-17
Bless you ....><>
Greetings,
How are you doing now?
Would you like to discuss this some more or have a bit more food for thought and preferably Scripture to help you in what you are seeking?
--------------------
this came to mind as i posted ....
a quick note i will add, is that we do need to remember who we serve and who we give allegiance to, who dictates our peace or lack of it.
Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith as both Lord and King and if and when emotions are running hot or cold or even lukewarm, grab hold of the situation and decide to let the peace of God rule in your heart.
The idea of 'let' is much as a royal or dignitary, a King or Queen, might pass on their 'will' about any certain matter.
As Children of the Most High God, we have the 'royalty' and we can and ought to go about our days with the same definite knowing of a King or Queen (or prince or princess, etc)
So, back to. let the peace of God rule in your heart and mind.... it translates sort of as, you making it as a decree and as it turns out, you are following that decree!
How it all pans out is that you remind yourself (with the Help of the LORD) that the things or person or situation that is leaving you emotional are not God the LORD and while you can still love them, you choose to put God first and you want to have His peace AND He wants you to have it and when push come to shove, only the Lord can really give us peace, especially the peace that we really need... so, we do well to let the peace of God rule.
Why exalt any other thing or person or situation above the Lord Jesus Christ?
Loving God first does not mean 'not loving' anyone else but we are able to relate and interact better when we remember to go about loving the LORD first and having His peace in His love, to love with.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:12-17
Bless you ....><>
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