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I'm A Believer, Not A Feeler
Contributed by Mark Atherton on May 1, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: Let’s live by God’s word not our emotions
When I feel worthless, I choose to believe God
1 Peter 2:9-10
When I feel condemned, I choose to believe God
Romans 8:1
When I feel unforgiven, I choose to believe God
1John 1:9
When I feel misunderstood, I choose to believe God
Psalm 139:1-4
When I feel rejected, I choose to believe God
Mt. 5:10-12
When I feel weak, I choose to believe God
2 Cor. 12:9
When I feel humilated, I choose to believe God
1 Cor. 1:27-29
I choose to either live by my feelings which can change instantly or I can choose to live by the truth of God’s word. This can be adapted into a sermon or used as a Bible Study.
When I feel worthless, no count, good for nothing, I can sulk or feel sorry for myself or I can choose to be what God has said about me in 2Peter 2:9-10. I am a chosen person, a royal priesthood, a part of a holy nation. I am so important to God that he died for me.
When I feel condemned, I know that it is not from God. Condemnation comes from the evil one or from my emotions. God will not condemn me. He will convict me and challenge me but I will not feel condemed: like there is not way out. God is a god of hope and good news. If He convicts He will always bring a measure of hope with it because there is a way out of that!
How many times in our Christian lives do we feel unforgiven? How many times does the devil come and tell us that there is no way that I can be forgiven for all that I have done?
I can live by that feeling or I can stand on the truth of God’s word. He is faithful and just to forgive all who come to Him.
We will be misunderstood in this life. Sometimes, because of my humanity, I will say something the wrong way or with a tone of voice that I should not have used. What I said may have been taken the wrong way or taken as an insult. It is at this times that I must remember that God knows my inmost being. He knows my heart and He knows what I intended to say and that I meant no harm.
There are times when we will feel rejected by people because of our faith. It is at these times that I can feel that way or I can believe God’s word which says, "Blessed are you when people persecute you..."
God’s power is not made perfect in my strength or in my area of "giftedness." The Bible says it is when I’m weak and feel indadequate that God power can then be made perfect in my life. God has the opportunity to be glorifed not in the things that I do well, because I can do that in the flesh, but in my times of weakness that He really shines because it is all about Him then.
Who or us has never felt humilated because of the so called intelligence of the wise man. Our faith ws put down and we felt like an unthinking, ignorant person who needs our faith for a crutch. Besides boning up our the reasons why we have hope, we should also remember that God has said that he will confound the intelligence of the wise. It is through the foolishness of preaching.