Solving the "Feelings" Problem

I've often been questioned regarding my growing resistance to the massive inroads counseling and psychology have made into believers' thinking these days. So here is some food for thought regarding the domination of "Feelings", "Desires" and "Beliefs" in modern Christian practice:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

- Luke 10:25-37

Remember! This passage is addressing the question:

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Notice anything about this passage? It is being impressed upon me more and more how often Jesus talked about “doing” rather than “feeling”.
Jesus says:
“Do this and you will live.”
“Go and do likewise.”

Jesus tells how the Samaritan:
- Took pity on him, (not felt pity for him,)…
- Bandaged him…
- Put him on a donkey…
- Took care of him…
- Took him to an inn…
- Paid and guaranteed reimbursement.

Jews and Samaritans hated each other. Where’s the Lifetime made-for-TV discussion of the Samaritan’s disgust at helping a Jew? Where’s the discussion of the injustice and emotional wounds suffered at the hands of the Jews in his childhood? This is not an "Oprah Winfrey Story of the Month". This is:

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Don’t we normally assume that the Jew was grateful and that his feelings softened toward the Samaritan? Don’t we also assume that the Samaritan was kindly, gentle and sweet? I believe these are figments of our modern morals, attitudes and imaginations. They’re not in the story.

The Samaritan could have rendered the aid because he would have done the same thing for a wounded dog and he may have felt like that is exactly what he was dealing with. The Jew could have been ashamed and mortified that he had to accept the aid of a filthy Samaritan and only longed for the day that he could get away and all the while prayed, “Please Lord, don’t let anyone see me this low and desperate!”

Jesus never offered information one way or the other, because that wasn’t what He wanted people to know. He wanted them to know it’s about what you do!

I believe God cares about our feelings. (I really, honestly do!)

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

- Matthew 7:9-10

I also believe that God knows our motives (and that we can fool ourselves.) But we can never fool Him. He knows the difference between obedience and show.

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

- Mark 12:41-44

I just believe this business of worrying about our feelings and our needs and our beliefs has become a deception. I see too many people wrestling with their feelings in the hope that they’ll get to the point where they want to do what God tells them to do.

Dadnabbit! Stop it! Serve others in His name because He told you to! If you’re doing it out of obedience He’ll change your feelings for you. Just ask Him to!

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

- Psalm 51:10-12

Do we confuse a “Heart for God" with “Feelings for obeying God"? Notice how he described a good spirit right there? “Willing” not “Pleased”. My experience has been that when I get “willing” and “Go and do likewise” the “pleased” follows after.

People in our nation are dying and going to a sinner’s Hell every day and God’s people are staring in the mirror saying, “What’s wrong with me? I don't want to do these things! How can He use a sin-blob like me?” Then we turn to "christian" counseling in hopes of having our wants changed, (as if the right understanding or philosophy or attitude would make us Christ-like...)

We’re waiting for God’s calling when He’s already called us and our life’s mission is passing by.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

- John 4:34-38