Today Adam Tarnow wrapped up the Resolve series, discussing three common cultural beliefs about feelings and the importance of resolving to be anchored in the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word.
Can you point to a time in your life when you made a big decision based only on feelings? Looking back, would you say it was a wise decision? Would you agree or disagree with Adam’s statement of “when we let our feelings be our guide we can become blind to the truth?”
In response to the cultural belief of “if it feels right, it must be right,” Adam stated that feelings are real, but they are not always reliable. How do you believe you initially respond in your heart to that statement? Consider Jeremiah 17:9 and the condition of the human heart apart from God’s truth.
When do you consider it difficult to deny your feelings? Even in the difficulty of denying impulsive feelings, do you still trust it is God’s best for you to do so? See Luke 9:23. Can you think of a time when you denied your feelings and it resulted in a better consequence than if you had given into your initial emotions?
How do you think we get caught up in believing God wants us to feel happy all of the time? How would you put Adam’s statement of “the goal is not to be happy all the time, but to trust Him (God) all the time” in your own words? What would it look like in your life right now to trust in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6)?
If you were to ask those who know you best, would they say that you consistently draw your energy from the Lord? When asked for your advice, do you consistently point others to the truth of Scripture? Who do you know that has made a really hard decision anchored in God’s absolute truth? Who do you know that has made a big decision based on emotion? Which one of these two made the wiser decision?