Following Feelings Can Get You Into Trouble!

If we let our feelings lead us, it always leads us into trouble.   If our feelings lead us, we are prone to:

• Overeating
• Saying the wrong things
• Reasoning ourselves into believing someone “owes” us so we take advantage of them to even the score
• Unhealthy relationships

I could go on and on.

I had a friend that confided in me once that he was having an affair.  I helped him go through several steps to make the situation right with his wife and with God.  I was really proud of him.  Unfortunately, several months later I learned that the affair with the same woman had started again.  When I confronted him he told me, “Eddie, I prayed for God to take away those feelings that I have for her and He didn’t do that.  So…it must be God’s will that I am with her.”

That’s a perfect example of being led by our “feelings” instead of God’s principles.  That’s also a perfect example of WHY we have to know what God’s Word says.  I’m pretty sure that if my friend had ever read the Bible, he knew that God was against him leaving his wife and kids for another woman.

If our feelings EVER contradict God’s Word, we have to follow God’s Word.

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him DENY himself, pick up his cross, and follow me.”  (Matthew 16:24)   John 3:30 says, “He (God) must increase and I must decrease.”

Basically, when we decide to become a Christ follower we decide that our own will isn’t what we’re going to follow anymore.  We seek and desire to do God’s will every day.  Now that doesn’t mean we won’t stumble or miss it sometime.

We will fall, but there is a difference in those who just “believe” in Jesus and those who FOLLOW Jesus.  Lot’s of people “believe” in Jesus.  Just look at the surveys in America.  Most people will still admit that they believe, but they really aren’t followers of Jesus.   In fact, the book of James tells us that even Satan “believes” and he shudders at the thought of Jesus.

A follower of Christ is actively learning to crucify his own will on a daily basis and follow God’s principles.  This can only happen when a person has a relationship with Jesus.  Another word that can describe a Christ Follower is “disciple,” which comes from the word, “discipline.”  God gives us discipline when we follow Him, spend DAILY time with Him, and learn His what His principles are in the Bible.

Luther Ingram once sang, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.”   A “casual believer” in Jesus probably wouldn’t admit it, but that’s the mantra that they live by.   If it feels good, do it!

I want to encourage FOLLOWERS of Jesus to realize that the words of Joyce Meyer is true.  Joyce said,

“You can feel wrong and still do what is right.”

What are some areas that you have seen Christ followers take the High Road on God’s principles when it would have been easy to get even, bring up that damaging event again for revenge, or even eat that third doughnut?