Faith Is Not Living By Feeling

LIVING BY FAITH IS NOT LIVING BY FEELING
Most people, even most Christians, do not walk by faith, but by their feelings. In other words, the reason they do this or that is because they feel like doing it. Those who live by feelings follow God’s will only when their feelings are moved, but as soon as that ends, they stop. This makes it nearly impossible for them to progress in the Christian life. But those who walk by faith, once they perceive something to be in the will of God, then no matter how much feeling is against it, or does not cooperate, he proceeds to do it. They ignore any negative feelings altogether.

This is so important:
If one lives according to his feelings, it shows that he has not really died to self and surrendered completely to God.

The one with faith perseveres without letting up, because God does not change. Faith follows God but feeling follows feeling. Faith beholds God. Feelings behold self.

God does not want enjoyment to be the purpose of our lives. No matter how we feel and no matter the circumstance, God wants obedience to His will. If something is perceived to be God’s will, then we should do it, no matter what. The walk of faith is the opposite of walking by feeling because it disregards feeling altogether.

Most Christians haven’t gotten the point that this walk of faith is one in where the will is more closely aligned with God. The life of faith has more to do with the will than with feeling.
We judge one’s spirituality by looking into his will. Good or bad feelings don’t serve as the indicator.

An emotional Christian is easily defeated in prayer and spiritual warfare. Why? Because prayer and spiritual warfare is hard work that sometimes doesn’t have an emotional payoff. So the enemy attacks the emotions. The emotions of the emotional are attacked to get them to stop. Living by feeling will get you to neglect doing God’s will and you will neglect your duty towards others.

We have to choose to believe, declare, and act on God’s Word whether we feel it or not. This is faith.

LIVING BY FAITH IS NOT LIVING ACCORDING TO CIRCUMSTANCES
2 Cor 5:7
We walk by faith not by sight

Biblical faith is believing with the heart. Not what your five senses tell you. We walk not according to sight. This means that what we see with our eyes is not the thing that guides us. When we see our bank account nearing empty we don’t panic, because we are depending on the One who provides. When we see sickness we don’t despair, because we are trusting in His promises to heal.

Therefore we don’t live according to how things appear to others, or even how they appear to us. We go by what we have received in His Word and by what He has revealed to our spirits directly. Our wills are very stubborn. Many times God purposely has to send many adverse circumstances until we are ready to give up and do it God’s way!!

FAITH ACTS
Faith doesn’t get emotional. Faith doesn’t go by circumstances. Faith acts on the Word. Faith does the will of God! Faith goes to work, faith looks after children, faith serves your spouse, faith washes the dishes. You see we love to talk about the big things that faith does. But faith is just as much to wash the car as it is to see the dead raised!

Faith doesn’t just want to live by the rush of feeling that is experienced alone on a mountaintop with God. Faith follows God’s will. Our life is not about going from one spiritual high to the next. We need order in our lives. God is concerned about every aspect of life.

You see many Christians want to get what they need from God and then believe that they have received it. But actually, you have to believe that you have your request first, and act like it, and then you get it.

Mark 11: 23
"I tell you the truth if anyone says to this mountain 'Go throw yourself into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

Notice that the having comes after the believing. God says we must believe that we have already received it, and then it materializes. We act on the word, instead of circumstances or feelings, until it materializes.

Believe what the Bible says, not what you feel. Believe what the Bible says, not what you see. We need to develop our faith to the point where we believe what God says, no matter what. This is the kind of faith that overcomes.


The Christian experience, from start to finish, is a life of faith. Through it we come into possession of a new life and through it we walk in it. It is not a life of feeling but a life of discerning the will of God and doing it, regardless of feeling or circumstances. Overcoming Faith is believing, declaring and acting on the Word of God in our hearts until we see the answer materialized.