Feelings

"I don't feel like being nice."

"I feel so undervalued."

"I don't feel like getting out of bed."

When was the last time you said something like this?  I know for sure I said something similar yesterday.  I'm pretty sure I thought that last statement this very morning.

We are encouraged to talk about our feelings.  We tell kids "follow you heart".  I've told kids "do what makes your heart happy".

"I just want to be happy."

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

I do want to feel happy.  I want to feel valued.  I want to get out of bed (most days).

But I don't have to wait for my feelings to catch up, I'm in control of my emotions. I get to boss them around.  I get to decide how I feel.

The heart is deceitful.  Wow!  But it's true.  It's part of our sin nature.  And it's all about how we focus our mind.  When I take my focus off the LORD, then I focus on my feelings.  I question His motives, "Why would you let me feel this way, LORD?  Why would you keep me in a situation where I feel this way?"

Wanna know why?

Because He wants to change my heart.  He wants my heart to reflect His heart.  He wants my truth to be His truth.

His truth says:

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them" Matthew 7:12

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Change my heart today, LORD.