Feelings

I often tell people that feelings are quite fickle. I can feel happy or sad in half a second from each other. I can feel angry. I can feel hurt. I can feel elated. I can feel frustrated. This list of “feelings” could get quite long. I do believe that most everyone has “feelings” and they are often very close to the surface in all our relationships. I’ve learned over the years that my feelings can’t always be trusted. I say that because there are times when it’s not about my feelings, but someone will say or do something that hurts my feelings. I also know that some folks say that love is a feeling. I believe love to be a decision – a choice. I understand the “ooey gooey feeling” that I feel when my wife or my children come around. I love them profoundly, but it’s a decision NOT just a feeling. I think in leading, I have to be very cautious about feelings and emotions. Feelings and emotions are not very good predictors of truth; they sometimes skew the truth or mask the truth of the situation.

I found Gideon’s response to the angel of the Lord a bit alarming at first. I do believe Gideon to be a bit pragmatic & practical, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t have handled this in a similar fashion. Check this out…

12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’

13 ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, “Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’

14 The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’

15 ‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’

16 The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.’ (Judges 6:12-16 NIV)

I believe Gideon was really testing the Lord out to make sure it was God calling and not a trap set by the people who were oppressing the Israelites. I also believe that Gideon was quite young and I see some wisdom in his response to the Lord. I really understand Gideons reluctance to simply jump in. Sometimes when someone jumps in early without counting the costs, the exit early because things got hard. I like it when someone does their fact finding or info gathering to vet the call rather than blindly follow their emotions (aka feelings).

As I’ve grown older in my faith, I believe I’ve learned to discern when the Lord is calling me to do something or go somewhere on His behalf. I also believe as I spend time with Him in His Word, He reveals things to me that “set up” a call that He’s placing upon me. I don’t intend to deny my feelings but I’m careful to not let them dictate my behavior constantly.

I’m thankful that the Lord is patient with Gideon’s questions and investigation of this call. I know first hand of God’s patience with me. He understands my emotional make up because He made this part of me too. The Lord is mighty to save and I’m learning that when He says jump, I say: How high?” I am learning to lean harder into my faith in the Lord then to lean on my feelings about everything.

Pressing On!

Dwayne