One of the problems (and there are many) that affects both Christianity i.e. the church, and “secular” culture are the words “But I feel it so…(fill in the blank). Let me finish for you: “I feel I have the right to be happy so I am leaving my spouse and children.” “I don’t care what the Bible says because I feel it in my bones that this is right.” Well…you get the idea. Many moons ago (1977 to be exact) and long before some of you were probably even born, Debbie Boone sang that syrupy, sappy (gag) love song, “You Light Up My Life.” While people were going gaga (even before she became a household name) over it, there was a line in it that told the whole idea in a nutshell: “It can’t be wrong/When it feels so right/’Cause you/You light up my life.” It can’t be wrong when it feels so right. Sadly, people have been using that phrase for years to justify their actions, thoughts and behavior in all kinds of ventures. In fact, I think a case can be made for that being the problem with Eve in the Garden.
I read the following recently and thought it was profound. It is by author and law professor Stephen Carter:
My date book contains cartoons first published in The New Yorker. One shows a young boy in front of his class, doing arithmetic at the blackboard. He has just written ‘7 x 5 =75’ and says to his astonished teacher, ‘It may be wrong, but it’s how I feel.’ There, in a nutshell, is the problem with the post-secular university. Faith is dead, reason is dying, but ‘how I feel’ is going strong. (Quoted in The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll-p.192)
So many people feel that way-in the church and the world. And that type of thinking really skews things big time. It plays havoc with what is spoken from the pulpit. The operative word here is often compromise or that old “feel good” sermonette. It plays havoc with the way we view morality. To borrow from the song: “it can’t be wrong if it feels so right.” We allow the obvious sinful lifestyles to influence us-choosing poor partners, who to hang around with, what to become involved in, etc. All the while telling ourselves “it feels good.” We allow it to play havoc with our marriages and ministries.
We do have a standard…the Bible. However, too many (and this includes church-goers) view the Bible as an out-dated tome filled with useless information. Former newsman, Ted Koppell, once said, “They are the Ten Commandments not the Ten Suggestions.” I concur. We have just got to get back to lining our lives up with the Bible not with our feelings. Objective Truth must (and does) trump Subjective Experience every time.
What are your thoughts on this? I suspect it could be seen as being on a soapbox (and perhaps it is). But I think it is a valid one. If you care to share your thoughts I would love to hear from you. Please don’t be afraid to express your thoughts, whether you agree with me or not. 🙂
The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right. ~William Safire
I believe that sums up my thoughts.
Good post bro’…we need that reminder!
I love that quote Jay! It is certainly true. Thanks for the comment.
Bill,
The great thing about my particular brand of smashmouth Christianity is I don’t need to “feel” God to know He is there. I thinak Him that He broke me of that little annoying and childish trait years ago!
However, I completely dig what you are saying, Bill. In this post-modern touchy-feely emergent and new church era, (Yikes!), too many folks are dependent upon “feeling” Jesus. It is like Oprah has somehow become Jesus for those folks. Again, Yikes!
It sounds harsh, but I cannot recall a time, ever, when my God asked me how I “felt” about something.
This is not to imply my relationship with Him is devoid of any emotions or “feelings”, no no no! He ministers to me in a way no one else can, and I freely admit to breaking down in tears on occasion when He deals with me in love and in chastisement. Mostly it is during worship that I “feel” Him. Perhaps I should use the word “sense” instead?
Anyhoos, nicely said, Bill.
Donald: first, thanks for coming by. This is your first time (at least to comment). Second, you are on the money in what you say. Christianity is not void of feelings but never should they determine our faith. I can get emotional in my worship and even “feel” God (I like sense better) but that is different from what I am trying to say. Allowing feelings to dictate what I say or do is my point. If we do then Oprah is in the house! That gives me the willies. Again, thanks for coming by.
Perfect timing Bill, as today marks 10 years with my beautiful bride. Lord knows, I’ve “FELT” like doing things my way and hitting the road over the past decade. Praise God for the truth and leading me to it every time!
I saw over on your blog about your 10th Anniversary Toby but didn’t have a chance to comment. congrats on the 10! You are right though. so many times I suspect all of us have “felt” like leaving. Praise God for the truth. Thanks for coming by.
Have been reading over my thoughts here. I have misstated myself. I never for one moment ever thought about leaving Jo nor has the “D” word ever crossed our lips. I have felt like leaving a church before though!!
You cover a lot of ground with this one Bill. Jay’s quote is very relevant.. And Don”s input as well. It is a subject that maybe we can only nibble on in a blog setting but worth nibbling. I believe the premise of Objective Truth trumping Subjective feeling is a valid one. It is the premise of the argument athiests make for not believing.
The existance of God is a subjective feeling and not an absolute truth. I can only feel it or sense it. I can’t prove it. My tiny little primate frontal lobe is not equiped to explain it. It is too awesome, too majestic, too beyond my ability to fully comprehend.
I believe the Church Community and the secular group have become a “me” society. What will the church do for me? Entertain me on Sunday? Have programs for me? Tell me God wants me to feel good and have more prosperity.Forget the wife and the children…What’s in it for me?
It can’t be about me. There is something much bigger and more awesome than me. Very easy to say….very difficult to live. And very worth the difficulty.
Jeff: you cover a lot of ground also! but i wholeheartedly agree with you, especially on the “me” slant of the current church. It hurts to hear those things but they are true and need to change. How? Now that is the $1 million question. Thanks for an insightful comment.
Jeff,
Right on, brother.
I have come to the brutal conclusion that “Church Life” is NOT “Kingdom Life”.
Jesus said He would build His Church. He would build it. Not us. Him.
I wonder, not to be smarmy or sarcastic, how many folks who are “churchgoers” are really supposed to be there? I mean, Jesus said He would build His Church and said nothing about folks stopping in and claiming fellowship because it is church and all.
Just a passing thought.
I despise “church life”. It has become its own entity, its own fantasy land of man-made expectations and false litmus-tested faith through works. Fah. Give me an organic home fellowship any day.
One last thought:
Do you suppose Jesus really wanted us to create MEGA churches that are cultures of their own? And this whole “denominational division” of our Faith. I thought Jesus brought UNITY. Apparently He did, but man came along and fussed about and decided we needed to follow comfortable doctrines and man-made ritualistic traditions instead.
Is it possible that our faith should make us uncomfortable? I mean, if we decide we have it all “figured out” and are content, then what good are we? Wouldn’t that make us like salt that has lost its flavor?
Sorry, I’m rambling! (Pay no attention to the crazy man behind the keyboard…)
I was reading the post and then scrolled through the comments and I think Jeff summed it up nicely. It has become about us instead of others. Because of this subjective truth has taken hold on some. Very good stuff Bill.
Michael: jeff did a good job of summing things up for sure. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
This is really relevant Bill. I wish someone would explain this very clearly to all newly married couples – it would most likely save a lot of grief. After 12 years of marriage and many seasons of “desiring what feels good” I wish someone had reminded me of this. God protected me from my own stupid self before I could wreck everything.
So stay up on that soapbox, it needs to be heard.
Thank you Kim. I think jeff put it well when he talked about “me.” Too many couples are the same way: It is all about me. Glad you hung in there. Reckon i will get back up on that box or maybe someone else will take up the cause. 🙂 Thanks for the kind words.
Great points all, Bill as I sit here and reflect it seems my “feelings” many times lead me down the wrong path. It is all about JESUS. I have feelings and I have spirit. May God help me with discernment. May Jesus light up our lives.
Proper prayer point Tom: may God help me with discernment. Thanks for coming by.
As someone who worked the counseling field for years before Pastoring – the who feeling thing has alway drove me nuts! Many of people thoughts for doing thing are you express because of feelings – like we should trust them. Feelings come and go but as Christians who believe in the Word of God our lives need to be built on the Truth and not feelings. In counseling I would use this example, “Sometimes I do not feel saved but the truth of the matter according to God’s Word I am.”
Good thoughts Bill!
I can only imagine what you heard in counseling and all the justifications that came out. Feelings are unpredictable. The Word isn’t. thanks for the comment Jim.
Great post! Oh yes, I’ve been down that path of if it feels good, it can’t be wrong and that lead to a lot of heartache & pain, but awesome God has always picked me up, dusted me off, puts me back on track & loves me through my stupidity.
I had to laugh at your gag comment about that song….yeah, I remember that syrupy song. And speaking of some saying the Bible is outdated, I saw on The O’Reilly Factor last night that the “humanists” are putting out a commercial, showing a quote from 2 Timothy and turning it all around, basically making it sound like it doesn’t mean what it says…..it continued on with other things the Bible says & they are putting their twists on it. For example, they are saying that being an obedient/submissive wife according to the Bible doesn’t really apply today. There were others, I just shook my head in disbelief that this is being put out there. You are right, we need to line up our lives with the Bible. Have a great day. 🙂
Hey Jan! I think we have all been down that road of heartache and pain but are grateful that God has pulled us back and loved us anyway. I hadn’t seen the presentation last night on O’Reilly. Interesting that they go to so much trouble denying someone they say doesn’t exist and discrediting a Book they say is old. Anyway, so glad God has you in His hand. 🙂 see you all soon.
Will you offer grace? This post triggers me.
Not because your words are untruth or because it is wrong.
Quite the contrary…it is good and right and I do agree but
I was screamed at from a pulpit for many years to never trust your feelings, they are to be kept in strict submission. Sounds great…at first.
Except that this iron fisted approach on not trusting feelings caused havoc that erupted in hypocrisy of the greatest degree.
I have no answers, just lots of questions. I am learning to work through the muck…thanks for putting up with my ramblings.
Julie & all: the net is down at the office so I am having 2 using my phone. I approved the comments but will need 2 wait till I get home to respond. Please feel free 2 respond 2 the comments here. Thx 4 taking part in the combo & 4 being patient w/ me.
Hey Julie: I finally have internet at home to reply. I hope you know that I believe not only in preaching the truth but also in loving unconditionally and preaching grace. Not sure who it was who said, “All Word and no spirit brings legalism. All spirit and no word brings emotionalism. Spirit and Word together bring growth” (or something like that). I am dead set against the kind of preaching you grew up under. I believe that emotions are a legitimate part of each person and given to us by God. He gives us freedom to express them correctly. They should not rule us or we will find ourselves justifying a whole lot of stuff but we should not deny them either. I hope that helps clear some confusion up. As for your rambling…ramble away. 🙂
Hi Bill,
“Allowing feelings to dictate what I say or do is my point.”
I think what Jeff says here is true. There is alot of ways to interpret Objectivity and
Subjective experience. If we narrow this down to the quote above then there would be no real guideline or standard for our speech and actions if we follow our feelings only. Pretty well anything goes as long as we think it’s ok.
On the other hand, I don’t really want to say that the Bible is only Objective truth either. It’s a living book so to speak, and much subjective experience goes along with that. The words of the Bible and the Spirit of God work together when we read the Bible. One is objective ink so to speak and one is many times subjective and individual in the way the Spirit ministers and teaches us.
However, there is no doubt that we should see ourselves in obedience to Jesus and the ways of God that the Bible teaches and shows to us.
Linda: I concur that subjective also enters the picture. My main gripe is with those who spend too much time emphasizing the “feel good” and not enough of the obedience to the Word. You make a good comment here.
Good thoughts man. The divorce thing you mentioned I think it huge. I know lots who think that God wouldn’t want me to be with someone that I don’t love anymore. Well what about commitment? God wants you to stay true to what you’ve said you would do. (Now I understand about stuff where a spouse walks away or abuse, etc.) But it is almost like we look at John 10:10 and Phil. 4:19, but not ones like 2 Tim. 3:12 and Gen. 50:20 and so forth.
Jay: thanks. I gotta go with you on the commitment thing. No doubt God had in mind that commitment whenever two vow to become one. (I also agree about the abuse, etc). Thanks for the Scripture references also. Appreciate your comment.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
How can I tell if my trust in the Lord is wholehearted? One way is this. Do I let the Bible overrule my own thinking? It says, “Do not lean on your own understanding.” So, do I agree with the Bible, or do I obey the Bible? My dog sometimes agrees with me, but she never obeys me. If I merely agree with the Bible, then my positive response to it is not obedience but coincidence. The Bible just happens to line up with the prejudices I’ve soaked up from my culture. But what do I do when the Bible contradicts what I want to be true? If I’m looking in the Bible for excuses for what I want anyway, my heart has already drifted from the Lord. But if I trust him wholeheartedly, I will let the Bible challenge my most cherished thoughts and feelings.
P.S. Pastor…my wife is in renal failure. She went from 37% function to 30%. I would appreciate everyone’s prayer’s.
Ike: First, I am saddened by your wife’s physical condition. That has got to hurt deeply. Fortunately, you have a Savior who loves you and whom you love. I am asking everyone to pray for her.
Seems almost disrespectful to comment on your comment. I really like your last line. Thanks for coming by. I know your days are filled full of nursing and taking care of your wife.
@Ike,
Pardon me for being so obtrusive, but I will put your wife before our God through prayer.
I believe He is still in the business of taking requests.
Donald in Bethel, CT
Not obtrusive Donald. Much appreciated.
I am praying for Ike’s wife.
Thanks Jan. I know Ike (and Carol I believe) appreciate it
Bill,
Please forgive me for not commenting on the post but I feel I need to focus on prayer for Ike, Carol, their son & his wife. Thanks for understanding.
Danaye: I would prefer the prayer more than the comment. Thanks.