As a young Christian, I did a study of the Scriptures many years ago to determine the Truth concerning faith and feelings. I saw this contradiction in what I was being told.....
In one ear, I was hearing preachers say that faith has nothing to do with feelings. That you just need to trust God's word, claim God's Word, and forget how you feel about it. God said it.... that is ALL you have to do. Doesn't matter if you ever feel anything at all. It is all about God's word.
In the other ear, I was hearing these same preachers talk of how good God is. How wonderful and kind God is. How HAPPY God makes us. I was hearing about this "thing" call "peace". About this "thing" called "joy".....
It just didn't add up. If you listen to them... it still will not "add up"....
Long story short.... I came to realize that it is impossible to disconnect faith from feelings. Real faith, affects you emotionally. Real faith brings peace. Real faith brings joy. One is not without the other. Real faith "casts out fear". There are good feelings and there are bad feelings. Both can come from most anything. Both can come FROM GOD.... I even realized that God is EMOTIONAL. God FEELS.
I remember the first time I was mediating on Luke 15 and realized those words were talking about God Himself!!!
Luk 15:5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luk 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
I realized just WHO... the angels were paying attention to. I have to say ..... I got emotional. Real emotional. I realized that all these good feelings I have come from God.
Yes. I'm not always that way. Yes. I feel bad at times. Discouraged. Down and out. I feel alone sometimes too. It is then that faith revives me. Faith brings those good emotions that I need. That we all need....Joy. Peace. Comfort. LOVE!!!!
I'll give an example of what I am trying to say.....
I've had many trials of faith throughout my Christian life. I'm sure some have had many more, I'm not going to go in to great detail but I had a situation were everything I worked for many years just fell completely apart over the matter of a few short months. Things I thought God approved of. Things I thought God carried about as much as I did. Good. Righteous things...... I remember saying that I wasn't going to let this defeat me. That I trusted God. That I believed God no matter the circumstance.
I said that openly. I told that to myself. Others believed with me......
However, there was ONE BIG problem. I was dying inside. Ripped apart emotions. Emotionally empty. Drained. I FELT DEFEATED..... and the Truth is.... I WAS.......
I was doing everything I'd been told. Everything I was suppose to do. Yet... Here I was.... DEFEATED. Talking the talk wasn't working.......
It wasn't long after that I realized just what I told you above. I realized that all those words didn't mean anything to me nor did it mean anything to God. I didn't REALLY mean it. I was so emotionally distanced from God by what had happened...... that what I thought was faith was nothing more than empty words thrown into the air. Hoping.... to find a landing place at the heart of God. I realized that these "things" meant more to me than I had ever been willing to admit...... and the one thing I couldn't lose is what was sustaining me the entire time. I had to apologize to God and admit that I was so horribly wrong. That I didn't mean what I was saying.... Even though at the time I thought I did.
Peace is what I lacked. Peace and Comfort from God is what I needed. God was willing.... always willing... I just refused.
There really is no way to separating faith and feeling. True faith is an emotional experience.
In one ear, I was hearing preachers say that faith has nothing to do with feelings. That you just need to trust God's word, claim God's Word, and forget how you feel about it. God said it.... that is ALL you have to do. Doesn't matter if you ever feel anything at all. It is all about God's word.
In the other ear, I was hearing these same preachers talk of how good God is. How wonderful and kind God is. How HAPPY God makes us. I was hearing about this "thing" call "peace". About this "thing" called "joy".....
It just didn't add up. If you listen to them... it still will not "add up"....
Long story short.... I came to realize that it is impossible to disconnect faith from feelings. Real faith, affects you emotionally. Real faith brings peace. Real faith brings joy. One is not without the other. Real faith "casts out fear". There are good feelings and there are bad feelings. Both can come from most anything. Both can come FROM GOD.... I even realized that God is EMOTIONAL. God FEELS.
I remember the first time I was mediating on Luke 15 and realized those words were talking about God Himself!!!
Luk 15:5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luk 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
I realized just WHO... the angels were paying attention to. I have to say ..... I got emotional. Real emotional. I realized that all these good feelings I have come from God.
Yes. I'm not always that way. Yes. I feel bad at times. Discouraged. Down and out. I feel alone sometimes too. It is then that faith revives me. Faith brings those good emotions that I need. That we all need....Joy. Peace. Comfort. LOVE!!!!
I'll give an example of what I am trying to say.....
I've had many trials of faith throughout my Christian life. I'm sure some have had many more, I'm not going to go in to great detail but I had a situation were everything I worked for many years just fell completely apart over the matter of a few short months. Things I thought God approved of. Things I thought God carried about as much as I did. Good. Righteous things...... I remember saying that I wasn't going to let this defeat me. That I trusted God. That I believed God no matter the circumstance.
I said that openly. I told that to myself. Others believed with me......
However, there was ONE BIG problem. I was dying inside. Ripped apart emotions. Emotionally empty. Drained. I FELT DEFEATED..... and the Truth is.... I WAS.......
I was doing everything I'd been told. Everything I was suppose to do. Yet... Here I was.... DEFEATED. Talking the talk wasn't working.......
It wasn't long after that I realized just what I told you above. I realized that all those words didn't mean anything to me nor did it mean anything to God. I didn't REALLY mean it. I was so emotionally distanced from God by what had happened...... that what I thought was faith was nothing more than empty words thrown into the air. Hoping.... to find a landing place at the heart of God. I realized that these "things" meant more to me than I had ever been willing to admit...... and the one thing I couldn't lose is what was sustaining me the entire time. I had to apologize to God and admit that I was so horribly wrong. That I didn't mean what I was saying.... Even though at the time I thought I did.
Peace is what I lacked. Peace and Comfort from God is what I needed. God was willing.... always willing... I just refused.
There really is no way to separating faith and feeling. True faith is an emotional experience.
Last edited:
