It's crucial to discern emotions through the foundation of God's word rather than letting feelings dictate actions. The guys encourage Christians to renew their minds with God's truth, letting the reality of eternity motivate their actions.
As a new believer, introspection becomes an essential action. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar talk about the difference between unbelievers, who ride their feelings like a wave, and believers, who have a foundation with which to discern their emotions. Emotions and feelings are self-centered and unreliable. This is why Christians have to be careful not to approach the word of God without letting feelings dictate actions. A solid foundation in God’s word prevents being led astray. Understanding your emotions in their proper context is crucial.
Today’s culture emphasizes feelings. This has led to a false belief among believers that if you can’t feel God, He isn’t there. The cultural narrative that feelings should be validated, and that others must conform to them, is flawed. The guys contend that emotions are God-given gauges of our heart’s condition and should inform, not control, us. Christians might have irrational fears that don't align with truth. Being governed by feelings leads to self-prioritization, but as Christians, we are guided by God’s law.
Society dictates which feelings are valid, leading to destruction. Only God knows our true selves. The world celebrates all feelings, making heroes out of those who feel they are different from their biological sex, leading to serious consequences. Many young people tragically turn to homosexuality because they’re told to celebrate all feelings. Without God as our truth, we live by lies. Renewing our minds and discerning what is good and perfect is essential. Meditate on God’s word to resist temptation. The guys recognize that men and women are both emotional beings, but they express emotions in different ways. Women are perceived to be more emotional, but we see in Psalms and other places in the Old Testament that men are also expressive of their emotions.
For believers struggling with feelings, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Christians possess this quality and should examine themselves to grow in sanctification. Don’t feed wrong thoughts and feelings; ignore them. What if you don’t feel like sharing the gospel? The reality of hell should motivate you, and you’ll rejoice in sharing the gospel. Often, we don’t feel like doing profitable things, but the fruit of our labor is worth it. Don’t let feelings dictate actions; use them to identify areas needing submission to the Lord. The guys share stories of pushing past their feelings of hesitation to
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Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.
Ray Comfort
Emeal (“E.Z.”) Zwayne
Mark Spence
Oscar Navarro
The Living Waters Podcast 