Let Faith Trump Feelings

Do you ever have a week where it seems like you hear God teach the same lesson to you over and over again? That describes my experience last week. Maybe I’m just too hard-headed, and God needed to keep repeating himself. But I honestly believe that my circumstances were intended as a lesson to learn and a blog post to write.

Why do we allow our feelings to trump what we know about our faith? How have our lives suffered because we have chosen to respond to our feelings instead of our faith? It seems like an easier question to answer than it is. I’ve spent a week thinking about that idea. 

It all began with a Sunday school lesson from the book of Numbers.

When fear trumps faith

Have you noticed how many of the news stories are written and reported with the goal of creating fear? Opinions are presented as fact and phrased to evoke a fear response. Spend some time this week listening to the news with the goal of spiritual discernment. You will likely be shocked at the way you hear things in a new light. We are more likely to become passionate about an opinion when we are afraid of someone else’s. If fear trumps faith, we will miss a lot of God’s blessings. That was true for the people in the book of Numbers.

Numbers 13 and 14 are about the twelve spies who were sent into the promised land to scope out the people and places that God had led them toward. You know the story. All twelve spies returned home, affirming the land was exactly what God had promised. They had found abundant food, water, and other blessings, but, there were also a few “giants” and other perceived dangers. Ten of the spies were adamant that entering the promised land would mean certain death. Joshua and Caleb were certain that they could trust God to handle whatever came their way. The people believed the ten who were afraid instead of the two who were faithful. The people’s feelings trumped their faith, and it cost them a life in the promised land.

The twelve spies were convinced of two very different outcomes. Ten men said everyone would be captured and probably killed. Two men said, “Let’s trust God and go.” Scripture tells us, “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.  And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?’  And they said to one another, ‘Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt’” (Numbers 14:1–4).

Which spies would you have sided with, and why? I confess that I would probably have followed the ten. The majority often rules, even when it is wrong. Joshua and Caleb lived long enough to lead the people into the promised land. The other ten spies died before that day. The majority of the spies got it wrong, and then they, along with their families, paid a price.

How can we allow our faith to trump our fear?

What lesson was God teaching the Israelites? How is that a lesson for us today?

God asked Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?” (Numbers 14:11). Moses knew God was angry because the people lacked faith. They had witnessed the miracles in Egypt and the evidence of God’s care for them throughout their journey from Egypt. Yet, they trusted the men who feared rather than the faith of Joshua and Caleb. 

Why did Joshua’s and Caleb’s faith trump their fears? The question I have asked myself for the past week is this: Were Joshua and Caleb “younger men” than the other ten? They lived another forty years, and Joshua actually led the people into the battles after they entered the land. The Bible doesn’t tell us if Caleb and Joshua were younger, but based on the information above, it is a valid question. It’s a question worth considering for our lives today.

Faith can only trump fear when we set aside any other influence. Wisdom comes with age, but so do some of our fears. Experience is a great teacher unless God is planning to do a “new thing” in our lives. As I’ve said before, just a quick study of Scripture is a reminder that “God’s ways are not our ways.” How often do we limit God to our best thoughts instead of seeking his?

When do our feelings trump our faith?

Most of our church committees are set up to follow a majority opinion. Americans live in a democracy that requires us to accept majority decisions. We are taught to trust that the majority of people will vote for the best choice. God taught us to seek counsel and trust godly people for spiritual advice. Sometimes, godly counsel is not the majority opinion.

  • When did you last sit on a committee that voted to do what most didn’t want to do?
  • What is the last decision you made out of obedience to God, even though it seemed a reckless choice to other people?
  • When have we followed the minority opinion to be right with God?
  • Are Jacob and Caleb relevant examples for God’s children today?

The answers to the questions above are important and worth considering. Joshua and Caleb didn’t offer the majority opinion, and God wouldn’t have preserved the story in Scripture if it didn’t matter to us today. The major difference between decision-making as God’s children now, compared to those in the Old Testament, involves the gift that Jesus died to give.

Faith can trump our feelings

The people of the Old Testament saw amazing miracles. The Ark of the Covenant, then the temple, literally contained the holy Presence of God. The altar provided a way for them to be made right with God. The law was God’s covenant promise with his people. And all of that didn’t sustain the people’s faith in God.

So God gave the world Jesus and then, through faith in his Son, God gave us his Holy Spirit. Counsel is good when it is Spirit-led. A committee will lead us to a correct decision if most of its members are led by God’s Spirit. The majority opinion is valuable if the majority of the people came to their opinion through the spiritual direction of God’s Spirit. Faith can trump our fears and our feelings if we can trust God’s voice and God’s word to matter more than any other influence the world offers.

Now, the practical lesson that God kept teaching me last week is this: What feelings or influences have I put ahead of God’s word? What decisions have I made, and what opinions have I believed that were borne of media-induced fear instead of biblical faith? Which voices shout louder than God’s?

Faith should trump our feelings, especially our fears. To ignore God’s Spirit is to walk in the wilderness. What truth is God’s voice prompting you to trust today?

The pursuit of peace

The best conclusion to a good argument is arriving at a place of understanding, knowing how each person involved is somewhat right and somehow wrong.

Our country is probably better off than any of us think, but, right now, it just seems like a mess. It’s the truth that will bring about permanent change, but the truth is that every side is partly right and partly wrong. 

Until all are able to speak honestly and rationally about facts, the problems will continue. 

Conflict is a normal part of life

The good news is that, throughout our history, some of the best adjustments in our thinking have taken place after arguments. 

God already has a plan to redeem the hurt, for a greater good, if we will be called to his good purpose. (Romans 8:28). 

So what is God’s purpose? 

Romans 14:19 says, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” 

I often teach that one of the most important words of a verse is the verb. Romans 14:19 teaches that we are to pursue those things that bring about peace and the mutual good of everyone. 

I expect that our country will heal—if we can recognize that everyone involved is somewhat right and somehow wrong. 

If we pursue those things that bring peace and mutual upbuilding, we can arrive at a place of change that will be based on truth. Truth will likely humble and help everyone involved. 

Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). 

What is the truth?

In that same passage, Jesus tells us why complete truth evades most of us at times. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). 

Every human being is enslaved by, or controlled by, our sin natures. Our salvation gifted us with the indwelling of Christ, through his Holy Spirit. We are able to be filled with, or controlled by, his Spirit, but that is a free-will choice. 

We live in a culture that was quick to believe Oprah when she used the phrase “personal truth.” In other words, truth can be what seems right, or feels right, personally. 

It will just take a minute to think about those words and realize that “personal truth” is just another way of saying “personal opinion.” 

Truth isn’t based on what seems true or feels true to a person. Truth is not personal because it transcends opinions. 

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). 

That’s why Jesus could tell those disciples, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). 

Our daily choices are because we are enslaved to the Holy Spirit of Christ or because we are enslaved to our human nature in the moment. None of us is completely free, yet. 

As Christians, we are completely saved, but we don’t enjoy the full benefits of our salvation until heaven. 

Choose truth; choose freedom

I hope that when tempers calm, truth will be spoken by people who realize its high value. Everyone is right and everyone is wrong—because everyone is an imperfect human being. 

We are free to speak, but if we are enslaved to Christ, we are not to speak freely. If we are enslaved to Christ, we allow him to speak his words of truth, peace, and mutual upbuilding through us. 

God’s word has been changing people’s lives since the beginning of time. The freedom we all need is the freedom to live enslaved by God’s thoughts, which are the truths, spoken by his Holy Spirit, in agreement with Scripture. 

Why do people still suffer?

One of my life verses is from the book of Hosea. God spoke to the prophet Hosea during one of the darkest times in human and church history. I’ve often said that God’s words to Hosea have been the reason I keep teaching and writing. 

God told Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). 

People are being destroyed by opinions because they have rejected the knowledge of God. Jesus is their Messiah. He is the way, the truth, and the eternal life they need. And there is suffering in our world because they have forgotten the God who created and redeemed it through his Son. 

People suffer now, and will suffer eternally, if we don’t help them know God through salvation in Christ. 

The thought that prompts

If you are like me, words fail. I don’t know how to speak my thoughts well. I don’t know who to speak them to. I don’t know if I should speak at all. 

But the thought that prompts me today is the knowledge that I know the One who will always speak the truth—and the truth will set us all free from sinful thoughts, words, and actions. His word is truth and is therefore the solution to our struggles. 

People suffer when they lack knowledge of God’s truth. May the Lord help all of us quiet our opinions so Jesus can speak his truth through us. 

Let’s take time to pray Samuel’s prayer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). God speaks to servants who take time to listen. 

Maybe our words need to fail right now so we will take the time to listen for his words. 

It’s his truth that matters and his truth that will help. 

Let’s live consistently aware that we have a high calling. We are to be enslaved to God for his good purpose. 

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” 

Let’s be servants who listen.

The Voice of Your Inner Thoughts

I watched the Emmy Awards Sunday night with a different kind of interest. It might have been because I am teaching from Corinthians this year and am often amazed at the cultural comparisons. 

The program itself was not very good. Hollywood can’t settle on a host for the show, nor can they settle on any standards for behavior. Many of the presenters struggled to read the teleprompter or make acceptance speeches. I’m not sure how often words were bleeped out, but there were a lot of speeches with multiple breaks. 

The whole show was pretty much a train wreck from the beginning.

Having rights is different than being right 

I’m probably not surprising any of you when I say that Hollywood has a very real darkness these days and, surprisingly, they see themselves as enlightened. 

Many of the award recipients made lofty-sounding statements on politics or personal morality. Interestingly, I don’t imagine many (or any) majored in political science, history, or philosophy. 

Several spoke about women’s rights while wearing dresses that had to be taped to their chest to prevent possible wardrobe malfunctions. We saw men kissing other men and transgender people treated as heroes or groundbreakers. 

Hollywood preaches about people’s “rights” but rarely about the need for people to behave rightly. In fact, their message is that personal choice determines what is right—unless, of course, someone’s personal choice disagrees with theirs. 

The ads during the program often targeted upcoming new shows for the fall season. I was amazed at the number of these programs that involved the supernatural and often the occult. They are dabbling in areas they have no idea are actually dangerous for people to think about.  

Hollywood has shouted about gun control, but I’ve never heard a network news show blame their own evening programming. How often do the networks air shows that feature a hero with a gun? How many of our random shootings are prompted by a warped sense of wanting to be popular like that? 

Hollywood is shouting for an individual’s personal right to choose. God created that concept. But God also created the Law so that we would know how to choose rightly. There will always be consequences when people make wrong choices. Sadly, that message was completely left out of the speeches that were made. 

Rethinking our thoughts

I wanted to watch the Emmy Awards because I believe our televisions have influenced our inner thoughts and we need to rethink our thoughts.  

  • When last were you saddened by an unmarried couple in a sexual relationship?
  • Are you beginning to accept homosexuality as a personal choice?
  • Are you intrigued by television shows that dabble in or elevate the occult?
  • Do you grieve the jokes that are made about the clergy, or even the Lord, on sitcoms or talk shows?
  • Has your thinking changed to include tolerance, acceptance, or even appreciation of things that God’s word has called unholy or sinful? 

The reason I ask you those questions is that is what is happening in my inner thoughts sometimes. I’ve become more anesthetized to seeing shows about Satan introduced to primetime television. It’s rare to see a committed, married couple on television who live with biblical standards. 

There are popular shows about polygamy, “queer eyes,” and every kind of violence. When did those things become possible? Normal? Acceptable? Appreciated? 

The pattern has been around from the beginning and will always be Satan’s method. Jude 1:4 describes that method this way: “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”  

Hollywood hypocrisy

Does it matter if it is just a “television show”?  

Hollywood thinks it matters—but only when it is convenient for their message. 

  • Gun violence matters—unless it’s found in a show they are acting in or producing.
  • Violence against women is terrible—unless they are offered the role of an abused woman or her abuser.
  • Education is important—unless they have to drop out of school to play a part in a movie or sitcom.
  • Equality is demanded—unless they are competing for the part or acting in a particular role.
  • Honesty matters—except when they are pretending to be someone they are not, or shouldn’t be.

The Voice within is a Person 

This week I’m teaching from the second chapter of 1 Corinthians. Paul taught a strategic lesson to the church in Corinth about the function of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If you are a Christian, you have been given the Holy Spirit.  

Paul wrote, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).  

The Holy Spirit knows what God thinks. When we see something on the television that makes us cringe, that is the Holy Spirit telling us what God thinks. When we see something that seems disgusting or revolting, that is the Holy Spirit telling us how God feels. When we feel saddened by what we see, that is a touch of God’s grief.  

The Holy Spirit knows what God thinks, and his role is to inform us so that we can think and feel like our Creator.  

You can know God and his thoughts 

How can you know what God is thinking? 

Paul answers that question in this way: “‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

That is one of my favorite descriptions of the Holy Spirit. There is a voice within every Christian who speaks thoughts from the mind of Christ. That voice competes with others but shouldn’t have to. Why do we let Hollywood and other worldly thinking influence our thoughts when we can listen to Jesus’ opinions instead?  

Hollywood is enticing and  tempting—but we know the source of that type of thinking. Satan has a voice as well. 

The Holy Spirit within you is the mind of Christ. Pause often to listen for his thoughts and opinions. They are truly the only thoughts worthy of our time, focus, and especially our opinions and standards. We have been given the mind of Christ, but we have also been given the right to choose his thoughts.  

The mind of Christ will always reflect and agree with the word of God. That’s why we call the Bible his holy word. Many of our thoughts will be authored by God’s Holy Spirit today. 

Let’s choose to listen well.