Why isn´t there a switch? A switch to turn of my feelings. It would be incredible to switch them off for just one hour.
Emotions never leave me. My most intense memories are these: Experiencing lovesickness for the first time, my anticipation for my 18th birthday and being home sick during my military duty.
Despite the fact that we´re constantly surrounded by emotions we have to make decisions during our entire lifetime. I´ve asked myself how this can actually work.
How can I make good decisions? Decisions that honor God. Decisions that lead me into a blessed future. I discovered these things:
1) It feels wrong but it's right. - Trust the father!
Feelings aren´t evil. God created us in his image and he is an emotional God. Even Jesus had feelings...
During his time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane he felt pure chaos. Although he knew what was right he was terrified. But he prayed: "..., not my will, but yours, be done." (Luke 22:42). He felt overwhelmed but still trusted his father.
This level of trust amazes me. It´s an example for my life. This quote reinforces it...
"It doesn't need to feel right in order to be God." Joyce Meyer
2) It feels right but it´s wrong. - Listen to the right voices!
To which voices I listen to in my life has a tremendous impact on my decisions. The voice of my feelings tends to get very loud. It even puts me in danger of missing the voice of God.
Let's have a look at the fraud of Jacob (Genesis 27):
His father Isaac blessed him although it would have been his brother, the firstborn, who deserved the blessing. He cheated on his father, who was almost blind, wearing skin of goats on his body.
Isaac counted more on what he felt instead of on what he heard. - A big mistake! Emotions are not always wrong but the main thing in my life making decisions has to remain God´s voice.
3) It feels wrong and it´s wrong. - Be yourself!
What did David do as soon as he noticed he could´t walk nor fight in Saul´s armor? - Right! He took it off. He overcame Goliath with his own weapons (1.Samuel 17:38-40).
Doing wrong things that in addition feel wrong is nothing else than... wrong.
God moves and guides uniquely. In what Saul was able to fight, David could´t even move with. The armor was´t the right thing and that was exactly what David felt. - Taking it off was a very wise decision.
When it comes to certain things we know they´re wrong but we still do them. - How stupid is this!?
I tend to judge myself. - It´s easy to drift away in one of my daydreams but the story that God is writing with my life is just not the same as the story of Martin Luther, Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonnke.
4) It feels right and it is right. - Keep your values!
Daniel and his friends were determined not to defile themselves with wrong food while living in exile. Despite the fact that they were under different authority they honored God through their lifestyle. They kept their values (Daniel 1).
I want to have the same courage in my everyday life. With the same determination I want to reject what others want to force upon me. In the world I live in I want to honor God as much as possible.
How do you make decisions? Feel free to leave a comment!
This blog post is a short version of a sermon I preached at Equippers Berlin. Listen to the podcast (German).
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