Have your feelings ever led you astray? I’m a feeler, and I often lean toward making decisions more from my heart than from my mind. While taking your feelings into consideration is important in the decision-making process, it’s only a part of it. I’m learning for myself the importance of balancing logic, feelings, and, ultimately, God’s commands before making major life decisions.
Recently, I had an important decision to make in my life and I was battling with what to do. As usual, my heart weighed in first with a loud YES, my head swayed from yes to no, and when I looked into what Scripture said on the issue, it became clear the answer was NO. Taking all of those elements into consideration, I decided to trust God’s judgment on the issue. Although it wasn’t an easy decision because of my strong emotions, I know God will take care of me, help me to heal, and move me forward in faith, every time.
Parenting is another area of my life where my feelings can lead me astray. Like every parent, I want my daughter, Ellie, to be happy. However, sometimes as an emotional knee-jerk reaction, I give her “things” because I think these objects and gifts will bring her happiness. When I take a step back and consider Ellie’s happiness on a deeper level, I realize giving her “things” on a consistent basis creates an expectation in her mind that she is entitled to keep on getting “things”, instead of being grateful for what she already has. I have to remember I want to encourage a grateful spirit and a good work ethic in my daughter. This desire I have for her means I have to use my head and think through what’s best for her on all levels before making a decision strictly from my emotions.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we are blinded by our feelings. When the scale tips drastically, it’s helpful to bring friends and family into the equation to help give us a different perspective on what they see we might be missing. I’ve been blessed to work with an incredible therapist over the past few years and he has been such a great sounding board for me when it comes to making decisions. I appreciate how he helps me see through my feelings to reveal an even deeper insight, asks me good questions to help me connect to my logic, reconnects me to my values, and gets me moving forward in the direction I say I want to go.
To reiterate, I don’t think feelings always lead us astray— I actually believe they are important, teach us something about ourselves, and should be considered when making choices. I simply know for me it hasn’t been wise to make decisions solely based on my emotions, as it’s lead to some serious disappointment and heartbreak.
I would love to hear your thoughts based on your personal experience. Have your feelings ever lead you astray? What role did considering both your feelings and logic play in helping you make a major decision in your life?
Life is full of opportunities to grow and learn from our choices. I’ve always taken comfort in knowing I’m not alone in dealing with my challenges and I find encouragement in hearing the stories of those who’ve grown from their life experiences. Thank you for sharing the gift of your presence and time with me today! I’m beyond grateful. Love and Blessings.
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Emotions are the spice of life. They make it interesting. Sometimes they are too hot, sometimes they steer us the wrong way. They always need to be tempered by reason and tested by scripture. We still makes mistakes and that is why God provides grace.
Love your thoughts on this topic Mark! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and to share. El and I love you with all of our hearts. So grateful to have such a fabulous Father-in-law!