feelings

“Live from the heart, it will never steer you wrong.”

I like chocolate. I really like dark chocolate. Dove dark chocolate. And, not only do I get great chocolate – I get a cool saying to ponder. So, today, I was woofing down some dark chocolate and the quote above was on the inside of my wrapper. It made me stop and think….so much that I fished the wrapper out of the trash to come home and blog about it. I know – you must think I am desperate for material. Not so. I am just always aware of how God might speak. Yes – there is always the Bible, but God can use a candy wrapper too.
At first glance, it seems right. But if you look a little longer, you can begin to see the flaw. Think you know where I am going, huh? I’ve been taught, in the past, that as a Christian, I cannot trust my feelings. They will lead me astray. Then I began to hear another teaching. God gave me my emotions. They are part of who I am. Can they lead me astray? You bet they can…and they have. But does that mean they cannot be good and beautiful? No. Just like food. It is a part of my life…I need it to live. I can enjoy food – or – I can abuse it. Isn’t this true with almost anything?
Why are we are so quick to throw the baby out with the bath water? Why do we need to deny a part of our humanity? Because it frightens us. Because we have seen the damage that can be done when people run with their feelings without regard to God. Scripture is full of examples of human emotion…both good and bad. Even in David’s case, we are allowed to witness both extremes; his unbridled, impulsive desire for Bathsheba, which he acted on with disastrous consequences and his equally unbridled and unrestrained joy as he danced in worship before God. And…where did we get the notion that, as Christians, we can choose to feel only the ‘good’ feelings and bury the bad???
So, after pondering the quote, I believe it is true….if your heart is surrendered to God. If you are open and surrendered to God, you need not fear your feelings. Even those feelings that we may label as negative, can, if processed well, lead us into a deeper understanding of ourselves and those places in us that may not be yielded. They can also into a deeper relationship with God, as we come to Him in complete and total honesty.
I would even suggest that to say feelings cannot be trusted is as much a fallacy as saying ‘do whatever feels good’. The truth is not in either of those extremes but is some messy place in the middle. Sorry. It is always easier when it is black and white but this is one of those grey areas.
Did this post stress you out? Go have a Dove chocolate and ponder deeply the message inside the wrapper. And feel.
Grace and peace,
Deb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gcfairch/4426720918/
Photo by gcjairch