Right feelings follow right actions.
I heard this phrase for the first time a few years ago, and it is slowly (o so painfully slowly) starting to affect the decisions I make on a daily basis.
Our culture conditions us to believe the opposite: If you feel it, act on it. The bummer is, about 95% of the time my natural feelings are pretty nasty. Instead of overflowing with thankfulness, I think of all the things I don’t have. Instead of apologizing first after an argument I wait for the other offender to admit guilt. Instead of making time to be with Jesus, I complain that He feels far away. You get the idea.
What I finally realized is that waiting for the right feeling before I did the right thing wasn’t working out for me so well. My relationships were suffering because I was ungrateful, nit-picky, and focused on myself. Believe it or not, feelings of marital bliss, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and deep friendship never actually just appeared out of thin air.
Some wise women challenged me to do what I knew to be right even if I didn’t feel like it. This still sounds to me like something kindergartners (not 23 year olds) should have figured out, but it is so hard for me to go against my feelings.
The GREAT news? It works. For real. And if you’re wondering how to put this into practice, check out some of the suggestions below.
- Feeling unsatisfied with what you have? Start a thankfulness journal. Write down a few things you are thankful for every day and wait for the feelings of satisfaction start to take over.
- Feeling like God is distant? Read your bible and pray anyway. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
- Feeling less-than-unconditional-love for your significant other? Point out (as in, tell him out-loud) one thing you appreciate about him everyday.
Now it's your turn - what are some suggestions you would add to the list?
And what about you - are you one who acts on feelings or what you know to be right? What helps you make choices that go against your emotions at the moment? We want to hear from you.
LINDSAY HALE
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