Decisions

Our feelings have been entrusted with far too much authority in our decision-making process. While we may live in a culture that wants to “feel led” before they act, Scripture provides us a template wherein God’s people choose to act righteously and “let their feelings catch up”.

Consider the countercultural logic of Deuteronomy 7:7-8 where God explains the reason for his loving acts toward the Israelites: “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers”. Why does God love them? Because he chose to love them and promised to keep loving them. We often choose to do this or that, and choose to continue doing this or that if we feel like it. That is not the biblical example set for us by Jehoiada (2 Kings 11:17), Asa (2 Chronicles 15:12) or Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:29).

The Bible leads us to choose to do what is good and right, letting our feelings tag along. Usually good decisions are eventually followed by good feelings, but sometimes not. Either way, we as God’s people should be making godly decisions based on biblical thinking, not on our fluctuating feelings.