The subject of politics is not one of my favorite topics.  I steer clear of conversations regarding the subject.  I’m skeptical and find the best intentioned politician hard to believe.  However, I know it’s important to pray about my vote and follow what I believe to be God’s will for me.  I was channel surfing yesterday and came across a political talk show and heard a statement that jumped out at me.  Katty Kay from BBC made this statement: “In politics emotions win over facts.”  Wow, that is not only true in politics but in many areas of our lives.  This pannel was discussing that if a politican can connect to our emotions, it does not matter what their record states.

Are emotions important?  Yes, I believe they are very important.  But emotions are not always the bearers of truth.  Emotions can be an indicator that something is going on that needs attention.  It’s sort of like having your oil light go off in your car.  You do not take a hammer and bust the oil light.  That would be ridiculous.  The oil light is letting us know that there is a problem under the hood that needs our attention.  So many of us reject and despise our emotions.  I happen to be a person that feels deeply.  And sometimes I really dislike that part of me.  One of the best bits of information I learned in 1985 when I was first introduced to the Exchanged Life was that in my soul there were three things.   I had the tendency to live as if I had only one thing in my soul and that would be my emotions.  If I felt it, I believed it and I actted on it.  But God put three things in our soul.  We have a mind, we have emotions and we have a will.  So if I feel something I can now take it over to my mind and ask God, “Lord is this true?”  I then can either act on what I am feeling or dismiss it.  This was very good news for me but I sometimes still forget this vital truth.

In counseling, many times people are struggling with their emotions.  This can be because of wounds in their hearts that need healing.  This can also be a way that God is getting their attention and to bring them into an understanding of their identity in Christ.  It’s important to know what our feelings and our belief systems are because whether we like it or not; we do tend to live out of these two things instead of truth. And many times we have some beliefs that are lies. 

When we teach on Concept of God we will ask our counselee’s what they “feel” about God when they are having a really bad week.  This is important because even though we may have been in church our entire life and know numerous scriptures about God; we tend to live out of our feelings and belief systems.

Listen to A.W. Tozer,

“Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God.  Our concept of God, our understanding or idea of God, is of crucial importance.  Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is.  Only after an ordeal of painful self probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.”

Once we have our eyes opened to what we “feel” about God; we can then reject the lie and ask God to open our eyes to the truth.  Not just open our eyes to the truth in our intellect, but also in our emotions.  This has been life changing for me and for many I have taught.

There are three questions we will be faced with through out our life.  Is God who HE says HE is?  Am I who God says I am?  Can I trust HIM?  I don’t know about you but I want to know who God is and who I am to the deepest part of my being.  And I want to KNOW that I can trust HIM no matter what circumstances are in my life.  HE loves me!  And HE loves you!  And HE wants us to know HE is there and that there is a reason for everything we face in life.

God has probably taught me more about HIM  through my love for my grandson’s than anything I’ve ever experienced in life.  And my love for them does not even come close to HIS love for you and me.  Do you enjoy HIM?  If not, ask HIM to show you what you “feel” about him.  And then ask HIM to show you the truth.