Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– C.S. Lewis
Feelings
Jesus once told the disciples “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) and the fact is, Jesus is the truth, is the life, and is the way (John 14:6), so why do so many Christians put more into feelings that into what truth is? In other words, many say “I feel like God is absent” or “I feel God doesn’t love me,” so we are putting our feelings as validation for our own truth and not what the Bible says (John 3:16). What is more reliable; God’s Word or our feelings? You know the answer to that.
Beliefs
When we repent and put our trust in Christ, we are telling God that we believe in the Son of God Who lived a sinless life and died for us to redeem us. To believe means you trust what someone tells you and you have faith in what they say so why can’t we believe that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Rom 8:38-39) but many “believe” God doesn’t love them. Should we not believe the Word of God over what we believe? Doesn’t God’s truth always trump our beliefs?
Vision
When Jesus bid the Apostle Peter to come to Him while Jesus walked on the water, for a time, Peter actually walked on water (Matt 14:22-33). The only problem was “when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me” (Matt 14:30) so “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt” (Matt 14:31)? I have to ask myself the same question. Why do I doubt? Do I see with the eyes of faith or do I see the wind and the water? Do I see the wind and not Jesus? I can’t look at both at the same time.
Conclusion
C.S. Lewis had great wisdom in saying that our feelings come and go but truly, God’s love for us does not. It remains, just as Jesus promised the disciples and the Word says He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5). We must believe God and not our feelings. We must stand on God’s Word and not our own beliefs, and we must see with the eyes of faith for He is sovereign over the wind and the water of our life.
