Today we Christians think that God is leading us when we have a certain feeling or inner impression. We must be very careful with those feelings because the Bible tells us that out of our hearts (those feelings) come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, and blasphemies. We must make sure our feelings agree with God’s Word. It is important that we learn to walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7) To walk by faith does not mean that we should look to our feelings, our emotions, our experiences, or even our circumstances to find the answers to our everyday problems and difficulties.
Let’s use a train to illustrate this point. The locomotive will represent the Word of God. It is truth and does not change. The coal car, which is located between the locomotive and the caboose, will represent faith. Just as the train can’t run without coal, our lives can’t run without faith and the fact of God’s Word.
The caboose of the train will represent our feelings. Have you ever wondered what a caboose was used for? It was the place where workers went to take their coffee breaks and rests. A caboose was really a luxury car. There was no power in the caboose. The train ran with or without it. In fact, today very few cabooses are even used. I’m afraid too many Christians are like cabooses. They channel the coal (faith) into the caboose (their feelings) instead of into the engine (the fact of God’s Word). They walk by their feelings instead of the facts that are in God’s Word.
How are you guiding your life today? Are you guiding your life through strong impressions that come to you through circumstances and other people? When those impressions come, don’t forget to test them by God’s Word. If the Bible is clear on a subject, be careful to obey–whatever the circumstances. Remember feelings are no substitute for facts and faith. Ask God to give you wisdom to know the difference between fact and feeling. Never be caught saying, “I don’t care what the Bible say—I know how I feel.” Remember your feelings can lead you astray! Study God’s Word. It will keep you on the right path.
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.