19 Dec 5 Blessed Way To Use Your Feelings

Even for children of God who have known the truth of God for a long time, one of the biggest difficulty we face is the way we use our feelings. Feelings come and go easily and they can easily make us lose control when our ideals, decisions and circumstances are impacted. So let us ask ourselves today: How do we use our feelings rightly? How to use for glory of God and for your benefit? We all know that after we have learnt about the word of God, we have to use it. This is to show that we have mastered it and can exercise our faith. This is just a like having a sword and needing to practice it, to master the purpose of it. So that when the real battle within us comes, like a temptation or a sinful inclination, we are ready to defend our spirits and fight it.

Feeling is actually a beautiful thing if you have the truth of God. Without the truth of God, it will only deceive and torment us gradually in our living. So let us confirm the blessed reasons of our feelings so that we use them rightly in our lives:

1. Feelings give us a reality check.

Firstly, feelings give us a reality check. It will tell you the state of your faith. Whether you have surpassed men’s responses or outcomes. You will know it within you. Your feelings will tell you whether you have successfully and powerfully used the truth. However, feelings can also tell you that you are not there yet. You are still bothered, you are still stumbling in this area. This is a reality check. So God uses our feelings to tell us the state of our faith. It unravels the disbelief and doubts in our lives. This helps us to not sweep it under the carpet.

2. Feelings will give Godly meaning to trials.

Anyone of us suffering in a trial now? In mental issue, finance, family? A trial will not be impactful unless you feel it. The anguish, the despair. There will be no meaning it you feel no pain. This brings you to cry out to the Lord, to pray genuinely and deeply. A lot of times, we know from our feelings if we are praying ritually or not. Sometimes, during trial, we have this thing called Paradoxical Feelings. Sorrowful yet always rejoicing, patient in affliction. This tells us that we are battling with our disbelief. Without it, we are just giving in to trials. But because we are in battle, we confirm that our true joy is in God, in the midst of suffering.

3. Feelings give us true empathy.

Your feelings will work with your conscience to tell you what it means by loving people. It is not just by speech but you can empathise. <Luke 6:31> It means to say, if you do not feel good, do not do unto others. Your feelings will tell you that if you go through this, you would not feel good. Making you think in the other person’s shoes and think/ talk/ act rightly to the other person. It gives you conscience and knowledge to live with others and edify people around you. Like after I have my own kid, and I experience the difficulties of parenting a child, nurturing them to know God, I empathise with other parents who go through situations like this. So it is a great thing: the empathy that feelings brings.

4. Feelings propel us to pray deeper.

Feelings will tell me, I cannot be at rest unless I pray deeper and seek deeper. Only then can I get a better and precise revelation from God. A lot of times, people say i have prayed enough. But look at the Psalmist and David, they never cease having the need to pray. He was struggling within himself, why are you downcast oh my soul? He repeats and pray till his feelings are in sync with the truth. That God is in charge, God is almighty. You do not just stop and feel fine because you have served your Christian conscience. You got to confirm that when God wants us to do something, He wants to reveal something to us. You got to receive things from Him, in our heads, in our hearts, we need to have introspection and retrospection. Do not let your feelings just hang there. George Muller once said: How do you know your prayer is successful? You will know it 15 minutes after your prayer. You look at yourself, the condition of your heart, you look at what you are doing, when you are talking to others, your tendencies and inclinations. You will know whether you have deeply prayed. Sometimes, you will find that you are still very carnal and worldly. That is when your feelings tell you, you need to pray deeper, you need to seek greater revelation. What does it mean to seek God 24/7?

5. Feelings will bring genuine works.

The church does not lack works, as it always talks about work. However the emphasis here is genuine. How can it be genuine and powerful? Works that you really do for benefit of people, build God’s kingdom, and build deep relationships. Now, Paul shared a deep relationship and deep feelings with the Phillipi church. And the Phillipi church, in return, does not just send a gift. They send a messenger, and it is not just a messenger, but they send someone who shares in his course, who feels for Paul and can risk his life for the apostle. So eventually in the ministry of Paul, you will see many works that are brought forth by deep relationship. This is also the Life Church ministry we are talking about. The intercession and love we have for brethren, for each other, to push forth God’s works in our lives.

Brothers and sisters, if we do not confirm the reason that God has given us our feelings and use it rightly, it will come to us like a sword with harm. But in actual fact, our feelings are great tools to point us to God, to His people, to His purposeful calling for us.  May we all affirm this points in our lives and restore the blessed ways to use our feelings. God bless.