Atypical AdviceSample

Don’t run from “the feels.”

The feels—aka a wave of emotions that hits you like a semi-truck and leaves you questioning everything—can be brutal. It’s natural to want to run from them. 

Maybe you saw your ex with their new significant other. Maybe you just watched This is Us. Maybe you got some bad news, experienced a harsh rejection, or feel alone.

Some kind of way, you’re “in your feelings.” 

We often try to avoid the feels. I mean, sure, we have #foreveralone where we can unite, lament, and feel less alone in our struggles. But let’s be honest. We avoid the feels. 

But Jesus—all God and all man—lived a perfect life, and He is the perfect example of how we’re supposed to live. 

You want to know what advice Jesus may give you? Don’t run from the “feels”; let the feels send you running to God.

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection. You can go read about that in Matthew 16 and Mark 8. But before He actually went to the cross, where do we find Jesus? In the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Luke describes Jesus as being “in such an agony of spirit” that He’s basically sweating bullets (Luke 22:44). You typically sweat when you’re nervous or scared. But, look, Jesus isn’t running from His feelings. He’s on His knees praying and bringing His feelings to His Father. He literally cries out, “Father” as He asks God to take His suffering (Luke 22:42). 

The great thing about embracing those not so great feels is that they send us running closer to God. 

At the end of His prayer, Jesus says, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” And as we lay our problems and our feelings at His feet, we’re also strengthened in our resolve to push through the pain so God’s will can be done. 

Here’s another example. Jesus also knew the end game in another situation—when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

When He’s first told that Lazarus is sick, Jesus’ immediate reply is that this won’t end in death and that this whole situation is for God’s glory (John 11:4). Later, when Jesus and the disciples head over to Judea, Jesus comes out and says point blank that Lazarus is going to rise (i.e. live) again (John 11:21-23). 

But, when they take Jesus to see where they buried Lazarus, Jesus starts crying. Again, He embraces the feels. He knows this is for God’s glory and that He’ll see Lazarus in literally a few minutes, but He still takes a moment to grieve. Then, just like in Gethsemane, Jesus cries out, “Father” and starts to pray. 

In this prayer, Jesus gives us a powerful reminder about God: He always hears us (John 11:41-42). That’s why we come to Him when we’re in our feelings. He listens. 

And after you call on God and lay your feelings at His feet, you can find freedom. When you choose to let go, God now has the opportunity to be God. He can take control of the situation and pour out His love, joy, grace, and peace. So, embrace the feels; they’ll pave the way to a deeper faith when you let them send you running to the Father.  

Here’s a cheat sheet in case you forget how to do that: 

1. Pray and cry out to your Father. 
2. Tell Him how you really feel. 
3. See God’s will be done. 

Reflect: Have you been avoiding your feelings? Is there anything you need to process and pray through? 

Pray: Jesus, You are all God and all man, yet You never sinned. You’re the goal I’m pressing toward, and in being more like You, I want to embrace the feels. If I’m running anywhere, I want it to be closer to You and the Father. So here I am. I’m laying it all down. _______ has been bothering me, and I feel ________. I’m praying for Your strength and Your guidance. Your will be done, Lord. Amen.