The Fallacy of Feelings

When we start out to do something right… good… even excellent… why is it that we have so much trouble sticking to it? It’s January and new practices are starting in the lives of people all over the world… but few will see them through for the entire year. Maybe it’s because it is HARD to change our mindset and keep our focus on the end goal. It is easy to get caught up in the emotions of the moment and chart a new course as our feelings dictate.

What kind of adventure are you planning? How are your feelings keeping you from getting there? Let me help you think about this…

You want to eat healthier, until you feel like you have done that long enough to deserve a splurge and that feeling of entitlement sends you directly to Dunkin Donuts and sabotages your plan.

You want to exercise, but you are too tired so you don’t do it… only to discover that you really feel too tired every day.

You want to improve your marriage relationship and communicate better… but then you feel like you are the only one trying so what’s the use!

You decide to make the Bible a priority, but somedays you don’t really feel you are grasping what it is saying so you put it down and go back to letting the pastor tell you about the Bible on Sundays.

You want to get your family to church with more regularity but they make Sunday morning such a challenge that you begin to feel like it really isn’t worth the hassle.

You want to get your spending under control and live with margin so that you can save for what you want, but then you see how others live and you feel  like you are depriving yourself too much so you abandon the budget and get what you want.

You want to be consistent with your kids and expect them to respect you and others, but you are exhausted at the end of the day and feel like turning your head to their behavior is just going to make life easier.

I’m guessing that there have been many nods of the head as you read through those scenarios. We all fall prey to our feelings and they destroy our futures. I once heard it said that feelings are neither right nor wrong, they just ARE. Don’t beat yourself up for your feelings, just don’t let them run your life. It is easy to feel, but it is difficult to do the right thing in spite of those feelings.

DON’T GIVE UP!

SATISFYING SELF IS A DEADLY TRAP!

When you have one of those feelings that will cause you to redirect your behavior in a negative way, take control! Feelings are only bad if they are controlling you. When you control them, it’s a whole different story. Engage your brain and look to the future. What will be the result of caving to the feelings of entitlement, exhaustion, injustice, self-pity, gluttony, laziness, inconsistency? Where will you end up?  Rather, think about the end goal. What kind of marriage do you want to build? What kind of children do you want to raise? What kind of financial security do you want? What kind of knowledge would you like to acquire? What kind of health would you like to be in?

Don’t live only to satisfy your own (sinful) desires, for that will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But live to please God, so you can live life more fully every single day. Don’t get rid of the practice of doing good, of being kind, of showing unconditional love, of living to honor others because, in the end, we all want to reap a harvest of blessings.       From Galatians 6:8-9