Authentic Faith - Week 2, Day 2

Day 2: How Do You Feel? (Faith Isn't Feelings)

Feelings come, and feelings go. Have you ever thought about how feelings-oriented the world we live in is? If it feels good, do it. How does it feel? Do you feel alright? How do you feel about that? Do you feel like you still like him?

The problem with feelings is that they are deceiving. For instance, let's say one day you get married. And let's say that this person you marry is beautiful. And let's say whenever you look at this beautiful person, you get those warm fuzzies inside your gut, and you feel woozy. And let's say you marry them because of those warm, fuzzy, woozy feelings you have when you look at them. And let's say one day you look at them, and they have a booger in their nose. I mean right at the tip of a nostril, and now, all of a sudden, you don't have those warm, fuzzy, woozy feelings for them anymore because they are grossing you out with this snotty booger that's going up and down when they breathe. Now, if your commitment to this beautiful person was just based on feelings, you would obviously kick the booger-eating moron out of your house. But the proper motive or reason for loving someone and being committed to them should never be based on feelings, BECAUSE FEELINGS CHANGE DAILY.

Take Joey, for instance. We'll use the name Joey to protect the feeling-oriented person. Joey prayed and asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior because he had this warm, fuzzy, oozy feeling inside. The next day, he woke up, and those warm, fuzzy, oozy feelings were gone. Joey began to wonder if he meant what he said to Jesus or not. And he began to wonder if Jesus really did save him. Joey was basing his new relationship with Jesus on feelings, and now he didn't feel saved.

Let me ask you a question. If you go off and get married someday, and you wake up and don't feel married, does that change the fact that you are married? In the same way, just because some days you wake up and feel like you are not saved or feel like God is a million miles away, you are still a child of God, and God will never leave your side. Your salvation is not based on feelings but on the facts of God's Word.

If you love Jesus and are committed to Him, then it won't matter if you have those warm, fuzzy, oozy feelings inside or not. In fact, whether you feel God is there or not does not change the fact that He is there! God's Word tells us that if you love Him and are committed to Him, He's there no matter how you feel. Quit basing your relationship with Jesus on FEELINGS. If you really love God and are trying to live for Jesus, He is there, and you are saved. I hope that's good news for you today!

Time Out
1. Read Psalms 121:1-8 and answer the following questions.

A. Verse 3--Does God ever fall asleep and take His eyes off of you?

B. Verse 2--Where do our strength and help come from?

C. Verse 5--Who serves as our shade and watches over us?

D. Verse 7--Who watches over all our life?

E. Verse 8--Who watches over our coming and going?

F. The fact is that Jesus is always there, whether we feel like He is or not.

2. Romans 8:38 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

A. What can separate us from God?

B. Can anything separate us from the love of God?

C. Do you always feel loved? You are loved by God, whether you feel like it or not.