Feelings are overrated.

Sure.

Who doesn’t love warm fuzzies or happy emotions that tell us all is right with the world.

I know I do.

But here’s why I think even ecstatic emotions can be overvalued:

They are irrelevant to our Christian lives.

We serve the Lord and do His will, with or without emotional support; whether we feel exuberant, melancholy, or just plain numb, we do as we are expected to do as servants of the Most High.

And this, of course, is what separates the men from the boys and women from mere schoolgirls.
 
It’s the difference between mature Believers and those who still need a pacifier.

Feelings are fickle—they come and go. They are as inconsistent as they are unreliable.

Feelings are flawed—they often mislead us with their limited and inaccurate assessments on the situation at hand.

And truth be told:

We don’t need to feel loved to know God treasures us. We just look to the Cross.

We don’t need to feel saved to know we’re going to heaven. His promise is for those who believe not those who feel…

We don’t need to feel appreciated in order to keep serving others.

The list could go on for days.

In short:

We live by faith—not by feelings.

So if you’re waiting for the emotional prompt to show up before you love, give, pray, forgive (or a hundred other Christian disciplines), you’re going to be in spiritual diapers for a very long time.

Grownup Christians:

Pray when they feel dry.
Love when they feel unloved.
Forgive when they feel pain.
Cut slack when they feel offended

They obey God when they feel like doing otherwise, which is quite a bit of the time for most.

It’s like everyday life.

We don’t have to be thrilled to punch that timeclock or take out the trash or pay the bills.

We just take care of business—when our feelings are onboard, and when they decided to just spend the day in bed.

I’m sure there were days Noah didn’t feel like building, and Moses didn’t feel like leading, and Paul didn’t feel like going forward.

And Jesus didn’t feel like being crucified for the sins of the world, did He? (Matthew 26:39)

So.

Yes. Be thankful when your emotions are cooperating.

But when they’re not, take heart.

We live by faith.

And we delight to do His will—with or without the feelings.