Dealing With Feelings

Each and every one of us (saint and sinner alike) is involved in a war – a spiritual war. Christians come to God and accept the grace and forgiveness found only through Christ. We are cleansed and made new. Our feelings tell us we are great! Then, usually not very long after that experience, we start to have ‘issues.’ Things don’t go ‘our way’ and our feelings turn to those of frustration, disappointment and/or anger. We face temptations to do the things we swore we would never do again, and we get bewildered by the fact that we have to continually deal with thoughts and feelings which we know run contrary to God’s Word. These feelings are compounded by the fact that our enemy (Satan) uses those temptations to have us question our very salvation;

“You know, if you were really saved you wouldn’t think like that!”

“Some Christian you are, acting that way!”

“How can you possibly love God and still feel that way?”

The accusations go on and on. Am I the only one who  experiences that type of mental attack, or does this sound all-to-familiar to some of you?

It isn’t much fun, and we look for relief. The Good News is that there is relief, and it’s found in the Word of God! The same God Who called you to Himself is the same God Who remains right by your side.
How can we begin dealing with feelings that oppose the fact that God is actively involved in our lives?

The first step is to realize that God loves us;

Rom 5:8-10
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

If the Father loved us enough to send Jesus while we were His enemies, how much more does He want us to succeed in overcoming these trials? We now share His LIFE.

The next step is to know that having the thought isn’t the problem, it’s what you do with it. Christians may have ungodly thoughts, but unlike the world we are no longer bound to follow through with those thoughts! We have a Helper, in the presence of the Holy Spirit;

Rom 8:13-17
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

What suffering is the writer talking about? He (the Apostle Paul) is referring to the suffering of enduring our trials by being led by God’s Spirit! We don’t do what we want to do, but what God wants us to do. Jesus endured the very same trials, and we are certainly no better than He is.

How do we go about putting off the ‘Old Man?’ It’s done by listening to the inward call of God to do what is right, rejecting the impulses of our earthly desires. We can – through the Spirit – put off those desires just like we put off dirty clothing;

Eph 4:20-32
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Did you catch the operative words in this passage? Put off the ‘Old Man;’ Put on the ‘New Man;’ do not let, putting away, let no, etc., etc. Although these thoughts may be with us, they are not a part of us.

We have options, folks. We have the power of God within us to overcome these things, and it is found in our ability to hear, and follow, the leading of God’s Spirit.

Do we make mistakes? Of course we do. Are we perfect? No, by no means. However, we have the comfort of knowing that God will finish what He has started in our lives;

Phil 1:6
…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…

We have been promised eternal life; not in ‘the sweet by-and-by’ but in ‘the here-and-now!’

To successfully live out that eternal life we must focus on this promise, given to us by Jesus Himself;

John 7:38-39
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

It’s time for us to ‘change our clothing’ and start living His life, one day at a time.

Image retrieved from:  http://nealwillard.com/living-water/