Letting God Guide Your Feelings

What a comfort it is to let God guide us instead of our feelings. Think about some of the differences between our feelings and God’s feelings:  

• Our feelings can change day by day, hour by hour (sometimes minute by minute!), but God is always the same: “I am the Lord, and I do not change,” He promises us. Malachi 3:6, NLT  
• Our feelings aren’t always fair. (Ever gotten angry at someone when it wasn’t really their fault? Ahem, siblings? Cough, parents? Teachers?) But God is always fair. Psalm 103:6  
• Our feelings are sometimes unloving (even toward ourselves). But God is love. 1 John 4:8  
• Our feelings sometimes make snap judgments based on inaccurate or incomplete information. But God knows everything, so His judgments are always correct, always fair, and always true. Psalm 9:8

God is not only our guide; He has also given us the Bible as our standard. A standard is what we turn to when we aren’t sure what’s right. A standard tells us right from wrong and helps us make decisions. As the standard for life, God’s Word teaches us how to live, how to please him, and how to be saved.

Your word, Lord, is eternal;

it stands firm in the heavens. . . .

If your law had not been my delight,

I would have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget your precepts,

for by them you have preserved my life.

PSALM 119:89, 92-93

We can turn to Scripture any time we aren’t sure what to do, how to live, or even what to feel. When our feelings get knotted, the Bible can help us untangle them. And it can help us discern the truth when our feelings are untrustworthy.

Here are some of the times we need to believe God instead of our feelings:  

• Believe God when He tells you that you are his beloved child (Ephesians 1:3-6).  
• Believe God when He tells you that hard times don’t mean God is mad at you (Hebrews 12:4-11).  
• Believe God when He tells you that you are still forgiven when you make mistakes (1 John 2:1-2).  
• Believe God when He tells you that sin will hurt you (Deuteronomy 30:15-18).  
• Believe God’s Word even when you’re in the middle of an emotional storm (Matthew 7:24-27).

Our feelings will jerk us all around, sometimes leading us down unrighteous paths; that’s why we turn to God and the Bible for answers and direction. God and the Bible will never lie to us. They won’t mislead us or cause us to compromise. They will always tell us what’s right and true.

And best of all, when we seek God, He is right there with us, standing by our side to strengthen and help us—now that’s a wonderful feeling.