Living by Your Feelings

(Heb 10:38) “Now the just shall live by faith…” Notice this verse doesn’t say the just shall live by ‘feelings;’ it says the just shall live by “faith.”

Living by our feelings is so common in today’s society that many measure their happiness by how they feel. “What’s wrong with that,” you ask? Because feelings are fickle. They are often guided by circumstances. If good things happen, you will “feel” good. If bad things happen, you will “feel” bad.

Your feelings (or emotions) are not always an accurate indicator of your spiritual condition. For example, in Exodus 32, the Israelites were happy and celebrating as they danced around the golden calf while committing idolatry!

God doesn’t command us to FEEL a certain way; He commands us to DO right, and OBEY His commands even if certain “feelings” aren’t there. BUT (Matt. 6:21) promises that when we obey by faith, our feelings will follow!

“But how can I do something I do not feel,” you ask? Well, we do it all the time. Do you always FEEL like getting out of bed and going to work? No, but you do it because you know it is the right thing to do.

“But it’s so difficult sometimes to do the things I know I should be doing,” you say. You are right, it IS difficult. Satan will make sure of that. That’s why we are to live by our FAITH and not by our FEELINGS.

Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the FAITH of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

The ONLY way we can live by faith and not by our feelings is for Christ to live IN us; for us to “live by the faith of the Son of God.”

It may be difficult, but it is possible because we have the wonderful promise of (Phil. 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” So determine today not to act nor react by your feelings but by faith, knowing God will give you the strength you need.

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