Feelings about Truths

I realized feelings are much more than happy or sad or angry or lonely.

For all practical purposes, feelings dictate truth to us.

Maybe that’s why they effect our whole demeanor.

I feel like nobody likes me.

I feel like such a failure.

I feel like I’ll never amount to anything.

I feel like God doesn’t exist anymore.

The feelings suggest a truth to us. And somehow the feeling about the truth seems more convincing than our noetic type of knowing (facts and stuff).

I know how many years old I am, but it doesn’t get me down unless I feel like now I’m old.

But isn’t it strange that this type of truth, what we feel is true, dictates our actions and our affect way more than our noetic knowing does? And it’s in all the ways that matter most.

This is why choosing what we believe is so important. If we believe strong enough it helps us feel like God loves us even after we do some real loser things. Or if we believe there is a purpose even when our life looks like it’s in the dumpster, it will be harder to feel worthless. If we believe God will not forsake us, it will be harder to feel forsaken. If we believe God has a plan even when we’ve hurt people around us, we feel less hopeless.

I know it’s really hard, but I hope this can help. At least it’s good to know that what we feel is true can be far more impactful than knowing facts. And belief helps us feel truth.

Raw Spoon, 4-9-17