(Hebrews 11:1)
Faith is what we believe, not how we feel. One of the requests I get daily
is from people who just don't "feel" God. Or, they were once "on fire" for
the Lord and just don't "feel" Him like they once did. Don't make the
mistake of judging your relationship with the Lord or your service to God
based on how you feel. Our relationship with Christ isn't an emotional
experience. We accept Christ by FAITH. It is a relationship built on
"faith", and not "feelings". Feelings will betray you since they can change
from day to day, even minute to minute. Our faith, however, is not based on
how we feel, but what we believe. Just like your feelings may change in
regard to your spouse, parents, children, friends...it doesn't stop them from
being who they are in your life. You accepted Christ by faith. Our
relationship with Him is one of faith. Just because your feelings may
change, your relationship with Him does not.
As you mature in Christ, as those who have walked years with the Lord can
attest, you rely less on how you might feel and more on your faith. The
wonderful thing is that God is the same "yesterday, and today, and
forever". God is immutable, a $5 theological term that means "unchanging".
So
regardless of how you might feel, God is always the same. His promises are
the same, He is the same, there are no surprises from God. He doesn't
change the rules on you at a whim. His love, His concern for you never
diminishes
or fades away. The longer you walk with Christ, the better you get to know
Him, the more you realize that you don't have to rely on how you feel. You
can count on your faith, what you believe, to guide you through this journey,
because God never changes.
For many people, this is a big hurdle to cross over...the hurdle of
feelings versus faith. I will be praying for you today to really understand
that
you don't have to count on the way you feel to determine your walk with
Christ.
It is not measured by goosebumps. That is why I stress so much the daily
time with Him, the 30 minutes or so at the start of the day in the Word
and prayer. Just like you can never develop much of a relationship with
your
friends without actually spending time with them, so it is with your
relationship with Christ. How can you have a relationship with Him, when
you never spend time alone with Him? Today is the day we go to church. Our
focus tends to be on God and the things of God. I pray that you overcome
the
hurdle of feelings versus faith, and really commit to having a serious
relationship with Christ. That doesn't happen overnight, just like an
earthly relationship doesn't happen overnight. It is a day-to-day
commitment.
Make that commitment today. Luckily for us, He never changes, so He is
waiting
for you.
