Being Led by Feelings vs. Being Led by the Spirit
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
Have you experienced a time when God told you to do something clearly, but then suddenly you changed your mind because you saw someone you didn’t like, so you believed that it was God’s way of telling you to abort the mission? Have you experienced being in a terrible mood and then failing to attend a very important seminar?
Feelings are a huge part of our normal lives as Christians. All of our emotions are a reflection of the One who made us. God created us in His image and likeness, and He too has emotions. Whether we feel happy, sad, angry, or excited, we must understand that our feelings aren’t God’s voice. Though God can use our feelings to convey a message, it is not advisable for us to rely fully on our emotions, since they can change rapidly, from day to day.
God may also be offering us a message that doesn’t match the way we feel. One good example is the prophet Jonah. God was telling him to go to Nineveh because He wanted to show them His mercy if the people repent. However, Jonah wasn’t feeling good about it because he hated the people there. So, he followed his feelings instead of following the Spirit! This caused him quite a bit of trouble and he suffered the consequences of disobedience.
God’s emotions are perfect and pure. Ours need renewal and cleansing every day through the Word of God because we have all embraced and lived with orphaned emotions since the fall of mankind. To learn more about the orphan spirit, click on this article [Your Identity as a Child of God]. Unlike God, we feel anger in a way that leads us to sin, or we feel sadness that leads us into depression. These are all fallen emotions rooted in fear – fear of being rejected, alone, hungry, hurt, controlled, etc.
When you have been born again, you have put on the nature of Christ, which is no longer the “I” who lives, but Christ in you. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Therefore, you are no longer controlled by your feelings and emotions. You are to be led by the Holy Spirit, regardless of what you feel. By spending more time in God’s Word and in His presence, you will learn more of His ways and become sensitive to His leading. For instance, when you hear bad news regarding sickness, the automatic response of most people is to feel scared, worried and anxious. However, someone who is led by the Spirit will automatically reject the lie of the enemy in its attempt to kill, steal and destroy. Learn more about your authority over sickness in this article, “Your Good Health has been Paid for.”
A Spirit-filled person will begin declaring God’s promises, such as in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
You are no longer controlled by your feelings, but are instead led by the Spirit of God, for it is no longer you who live, but Christ that lives in you. You have the mind of Christ! You are a person who is not led by feelings, but by the Spirit of God alone.
What are your realizations right now? Are there things in your life that you need to change?
