.jpg)
Regardless of how you are feeling, you are loved.
In my last blog, Hooked on a Feeling, I wrote, “most emotions are like a barometer. A barometer is a gauge that measures air pressure in the environment. Your emotions are just the gauges that are telling you where you are and what direction you need to go. “
Feelings can both distract us from the Truth and point us to the Truth. But truth is Truth no matter what we are feeling.
Unchanging, immutable, timeless truths exist regardless of feelings, regardless of what is happening in life, in our families, and in the world:
God is good (Mark 10:18, Psalm 145:9).
God is sovereign (Isaiah 46:10, Job 42:2).
God is powerful (Luke 1:37, Romans 1:20).
God does not change (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17).
God is forgiving (Psalm 103:8, 1 John 1:9).
You are loved (Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16, 1 John 3:1; Psalm 139:13-14; Ephesians 2:4-5; Zephaniah 3:17; Deuteronomy 7:9; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:7-11).
And so many more truths.Truths are true regardless of how true you feel your feelings are.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”
Life is messy, hurtful, uncomfortable…so our souls get wounded and broken. Our human tendency is to self-comfort and self-medicate to heal our broken souls. If our self-care is absent of Truth: it will do little to restore our souls, the result will be short lived, and we will continue in unhealthy patterns to try to feel good. When our self-care is absent of Truth, we will continue to struggle to do the right thing. And when we struggle to do the right thing, it means our faith is lacking and our souls are still longing for Truth.
I know some of you work extremely hard to pursue Truth, to have a relationship with Jesus, to do the right thing, yet you have a self-awareness of all your own messiness. Before you beat yourself up for still having room to grow, keep in mind soul healing through Truth is a life-long journey. It is a life-long journey because life keeps happening. You get healing in one area, and hurt or loss happens in another. So we keep moving towards Truth. And as we do, we experience greater love, joy, peace, and hope regardless of what is happening in life.
Because life keeps happening and soul care is a lifelong journey, the contributors to our soul – church, community, family, friends – need to do much more than just help us feel good. They need to point us to the Truth. (Be sure they are pointing you to the Truth, not using a form of the truth to control, manipulate, or change you – that is not good for the soul. And I’m sorry that happens too).
Emotions are your gauges. Any emotion that is not consistent with love, joy, peace, faith, hope, and love…is your soul’s way of telling you to pursue the Truth. Keep getting around the Truth. Keep going to church that teaches the Truth. Keep reading the Word. Keep having Bible studies with others. Keep having conversations of faith. Keep pursuing Truth. You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free (John 8:32). It will be good for your soul.