When it comes to everyday life, we have a choice: we can walk according to the unchanging principles of God’s Word; or we can be ruled by our constantly changing feelings. When we live by God’s Word, we have stability. When we live by our feelings, it’s like riding a roller coaster; one day we’re up, the next day we’re down. God wants to bring us into emotional maturity, but we have to cooperate with Him. That calls for a daily act of will; choosing to do things His way rather than our own. And once it becomes a habit, we’ll discover that life is more enjoyable when we do it God’s way. We should try not to let every emotion dictate the direction of our day or decide our responses. ‘Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life’ (v.23 CEV). It can often be our thinking that influences our feelings. That’s why Paul wrote, ‘Capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV). In other words, if a thought doesn’t line up with God’s Word, we mustn’t give it a voice or let it influence us. ‘We walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV). As Christians, we won’t always feel God’s presence. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the Emmaus road, but they didn’t recognise Him because they were preoccupied with the way they were feeling. So how did He lift them out of their negative emotions? He ‘began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures’ (Luke 24:27 NCV). So today, let’s resolve to be led only by God and His Word.

What Now?

If you experience any strong feelings today, whether anger, worry, fear, joy, or something else, ask God if they’re emotions that need to be brought under control, or whether they’re nudges from Him to take action in some way.