It dawned on me I spend an awful lot of time thinking about what I like – and particularly what I don’t like. I like this, I think to myself. I love that, I think to myself. I really, really, really love that. I hate that. I hate this. I can’t stand this. Thoughts, feelings, thoughts, feelings. All with one common denominator. Self. Truth is this world teaches us to live according to our thoughts and feelings, our wishes, ways, and wants. So I am quite certain I am not alone in this. And truth is we tend to not just have lots of thoughts and feelings, but we oftentimes live according to them. Which means we are living according to and for self.
Years ago, a loved one told me essentially, “I don’t feel like doing that.”
I was flabbergasted – not to mention likely hurt, angry, and bitter knowing how I was most of the time back then. And in my pride I judged and condemned the person.
I suppose I felt the person wasn’t considering anyone else not me nor most importantly not God. The person made a decision based on feelings i.e. based on self.
Tragically, this is what I did FOR YEARS even as a believer in Jesus before God led me to repentance and showed me the right way to live. FOR HIM.
There is a very grave problem when it comes to our feelings such as “I don’t feel like doing that”. It is SIN AGAINST GOD ALIMIGHTY when we live to please and obey self not God. The Lord Jesus Christ makes abundantly clear those who believe in and follow Him – i.e. those who have turned from their sins, believe in Him as Lord and in His death and resurrection and turned to the Lord and His ways thereby being promised forever life with God – are to DENY SELF.
We are to TAKE UP OUR CROSSES. We are to FOLLOW HIM. We are to NO LONGER LIVE FOR SELF. We are to LIVE FOR JESUS. We will undoubtedly have feelings, but we are not to live according to our feelings when they do not line up with God and His will for us. We are to live led by the Holy Sprit of God who directs us in line with the Bible.
When we don’t feel like doing something, and when that something is the will of God, we are to DENY SELF and humbly OBEY GOD.
Right now, as you read this, is God bringing to mind something you are refusing to obey Him regarding because of your feelings? Because you don’t feel like doing whatever it is?
Please, friend, humble yourself before God almighty and say NO to self and YES to the Lord!
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 NKJV
“and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15 NKJV