Feeling one’s Faith
A charismatic pastor of a church noted for its loud, emotionally charged worship services, said he wouldn’t give a dime for a religion you cannot feel.” Is it true that an absence of ecstatic feelings is evidence of a worthless religion? Are feelings a good barometer of one’s relationship with God?
In considering these questions, there are two extreme experiences in the Christian walk, and at times all will experience both. One is known as “mountaintop” and the other “down in the valley.”
During the mountaintop experience one feels really close to God and everything is wonderful. The down in the valley experience is just the opposite. One man said he hoped his time to die would happen at a time when he was feeling really close to God, as that might increase his chances of salvation (not so).
A good example of the mountaintop experience is Elijah’s victory over the prophets of Baal on top of Mt. Carmel.
Fire fell from heaven; the prophets of Baal were defeated and the threeand-a-half-year drought was broken. His down in the valley experience followed shortly after. In the power of the Spirit, he had led King Ahab down off the mountain in a blinding rainstorm. Jezebel upon hearing what happened threatened his life and in fear, he fled for his life, became discouraged and prayed that he might die (1 Kings 19:4).
But, although he could not see Him, and regardless of his feelings, God was just as much with him in that bad time as when he was up on the mountaintop.
If our feelings, which can be fickle at best, are allowed to dictate our standing with God, then where is the need of faith? Feelings are never a safe guide.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:7, we are to walk by faith, not by sight.
While the mountaintop experience is much to be desired, it’s down in the valley where our faith grows and becomes stronger. No matter what our circumstances, we should be able to rest fully in Him because we know He is with us.
To KNOW is the truest form of faith and has nothing to do with how we feel.
It is faith that allows us to experience feelings of perfect peace, and to have an inner joy that nothing can disrupt (Isaiah 26:3).