God Is Bigger Then Our Feelings

I want to talk to you about feelings.

Feelings are a funny thing. In today’s world, our whole lives are based around how we are feeling. No one really wants to admit it but there aren’t a lot of people that are able to control their feelings all the time. In fact, I don’t think I know one person that can do it. Feelings and emotions control everyone on this planet. And for Christians, that’s not a good thing.

Have you ever been up really late at night, and watched some of those stupid infomercials. I know you have, because they’re the only things on at night. And you’re not any different then everyone else; there is just something about those products that pulls us in. And all of a sudden you are really intrigued, thinking in your head, “man I could really use an all in one sweeper/duster/mop/vacuum. Hahaha…. ya. Anyways, have you noticed that even on normal commercials, and ads on buses or magazines, that the media is really grasping on to the fact that people are controlled by their feelings? Think of how many new drugs are coming out to help you overcome a feeling you have. There are pills for everything. There are pills out there for depression, for anxiety, for stress, even pills to help you poop more often. Ok so that one was a little out of line, but you get the point. There are pills for every possible emotion and feeling we could have or even want to have. And of course as the really smart and intellectual humans that we are, we buy into their product and waste our money on a temporary fix.

Notice that I said temporary, because that is the biggest thing about our feelings. They are never going to go away. We are always going to have a feeling about something, but the difference is how we are going to handle those feelings. Most of the time we decided to do things based on our feelings. But what is wrong with that way of dealing with feelings, is that what feels right today, doesn’t always feel right tomorrow.

Really think about that for a second in your head. Just say it over and over and think back on all the things you have done out strictly based on feelings. Do any of them really work out? Think of that car that you really wanted to buy at the time, has it really completely satisfied your feelings up to this point? Or what about those sunglasses that were going to make you look better then anyone? Oh man if you could only have those sunglasses, then everything would be better… well, is it?

Let me show you an example of feelings. I’m currently teaching a preschool at my college for psychology credits. I have a whole class or fifteen or so 2 to 3 year olds. First off, I love this class so much. It’s such a blessing to be put in a situation with these little kids, and just play with them and love on them all day. You have probably heard that phrase before, “faith like a child”. I always think of it when I am with them. Anyways, I’ve learned a lot about kids this age and how they react to situations. I have also learned many ways to deal with these little guys when they start going crazy! Its funny to see these kids balling their heads off because they don’t want mommy to leave, but as soon as I come up to them and say one word, like “dinosaurs”, they immediately forget that mom is even there, and sit down with me pretending that dinosaurs are destroying the train track! (A train track which I had so elegantly set up a half our prior to the kids coming, but that’s another situation all in itself). But do you see how easily their feelings are in control of them. Take now, for example, the feelings of a 3 year old, and put them in a 20 year olds body. Could you even imagine what they would act like? Even deeper, make that a 20 year old Christian’s body. We say to ourselves, “that’s ridiculous, I would never act like a little child”, but in our walk with God, even though we don’t want to admit it, we cant control our feelings anymore then one of my little preschoolers can control their own feelings.

I think its really funny how we try to come up with these sayings all the time that are excuses for why we are feeling a certain way. We say things like…

I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today…

-or-

I’m just having a real hard time right now…

Are these true? Really? Or are you just not in control of your feelings.

You see, feelings that our out of our control steal our confidence. Then slowly but surely we fall deeper and deeper into our feelings. We try over and over to do something right, in order to get a feeling. We need to stop that. Because there isn’t anything we can do right, to get a feeling that will give us happiness forever. We need to go to the one thing that is bigger then our feelings. We need to go to God.

I really feel that you can see where someone is at on their walk towards Christ based on the way they handle their feelings. As Christians we are suppose to be living above our feelings. But that is easier said then done.

Why are you so downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God.
-Psalm 42:5

Scripture shows us that there is only one thing we can put our trust in. When we are feelings down, or lazy, or unloved, God is the only thing that can break us free from our feelings. God is the only thing that is bigger then our feelings. And the best thing is, God knows how we are feeling. He already knows why you are feeling a way that you are feeling. And he is there, wanting to free you from those things that are making you mad, and upset, and sad, and lonely.

Look at how 1 John talks about how we need to live based on actions and truth, and not on our words and our tongues. Because he knows that we cannot control our feelings all by ourselves, but that we need God to help us know how to handle them.

Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater then our hearts, and he knows everything.
- 1 John 3:18-20

I love the last verse; …whenever our hearts condemn us. For GOD is GREATER then our hearts, and he knows EVERYTHING! In the New Living Translation it says;

…even when we feel guilty, God is greater then our FEELINGS and he knows everything.

See God is the only one that knows us, inside and out. He is the only one that knows how we are “feeling”. Not pills, psychiatrists, a new car, more money, a girlfriend, or anything else this world has to offer, are going to be able to know our feelings, and or replace our feelings. Feelings are always going to be there, and they only way to fix them is to understand how to handle them. And only God knows that. So trust in the Lord, and he will show you the true happiness of life. Imagine if you could make yourself happy all the time, with nothing more then the love of God. It’s possible, and we all can do it.


Dear Lord,
I pray that you will hear my call to you. God I know that my feelings are overtaking me and my everyday decisions. Lord, I ask you to help me control them, because you know my heart and the temptations that it’s having. I give all of myself up to you Lord, I know that you are good, and I trust in who you are. Help me have power over my tongue and my mind Lord, so that the emotions and choices I make everyday are to praise you, and are not choices made to make me feel good God your love makes me feel amazing, and I will love you with everything I have, because I know I can be happy in all things, if they are through you. Be with me Lord, and lead me closer to you. In your precious name I pray.
Amen

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
- 1 John 2:15-17