Feelings Can Fool Us
Roasted marshmallows
Apple cider
Kaleidoscope leaves
Cool breezes
Pecans
An abundance of candy in fun-size packs
Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin
Colorful mums
Pumpkins
Fresh apples (especially Honey Crisp!)
Long sleeves and weathered jeans
Warm fuzzy sweaters
But it is that season, according to the trusted calendar, even though we are experiencing temperatures in the low 90’s.
It does not feel like fall, but the calendar says it is. Which am I to believe?
The
same question is sometimes asked, although rarely audible or even
consciously, when we are faced with believing how we feel versus what
the Word of God says.
While God created emotions to complete the
whole person, it’s easy to get swept away by them—only to be swept up in
the deception that can sometimes follow.
Just as the calendar
has the final say as to when we are truly embarking on the fall season,
so God’s Word is our final say as to what is true—regardless of how we
feel.
- I may not always feel His presence, but God says He will never leave nor forsake me (Heb. 13:5)
- I may not always sense His working in my life or those around me, but God says that nothing can thwart His plans (Job 42:2)
- I don’t always trust Him as I should, but God says that even when I am unfaithful, He is faithful. (2 Tim. 2:13)
-
I can feel defeated, useless to the Kingdom, beaten up by all my
weaknesses, but God says that in Him, there is in no condemnation,
regardless of what the enemy says. (Romans 8:1)
Emotions can be
a beautiful expression of our worship to the Lord. In fact, if we are
rarely moved by the words we read or sing, or if we can watch a
resplendent sun rising from the east without a pause of praise welling
up from within, we may be in need of an emotion intervention. It’s all
about balance.
So, while it may not feel
like my favorite season of the year, I rejoice in the fact that it is
indeed fall, and that summer has been left in the dust of 2010 (and my
grass along with it). I may have to break out my long-sleeved shirts and
fuzzy sweaters in celebration of this truth!
Care to join me?
