Emotion vs. Truth

by Chadwick Brewer

One of the greatest challenges that we have in walking according to the Spirit is that we are so accustomed to walking according to our emotions.

We have been trained to and constantly instructed to act according to our feelings. “What do you feel in your heart?” “Be true to yourself.” “Speak your truth.” “If it feels right, it must be right.” These are just a few examples of this worldview that is constantly hoisted upon us. We buy into these false ideas in our daily life, and since there is no real division between daily life and religious life, it also shapes how we view religion.

More and more, people are guided by what they feel within rather than by what God has revealed in His word. When in discussions about doctrine, statements like “I don’t have a problem with it” or “I believe that God would be OK with that” often carry more weight than Scripture. In terms of acts of worship, we are more motivated by what moves us than what glorifies God. We often pursue experiences that make us feel close to God and then hope He approves, rather than learning to delight in the things He has already revealed to be pleasing to Him.

Yet we are called to “delight in truth” (Psalms 51:6), to be “sanctified in truth” (John 17:17), and to “walk in [God’s] truth” (Psalms 86:11). Nothing like this is ever said about our emotions. Emotions make wonderful servants, but terrible masters. God never intended our feelings to determine truth; He intended truth to shape our feelings.