Act Now, Feel Later

A lot of times I talk to women who wonder how long they’re going to “feel” a certain thing – regret, guilt, pain, heartache, etc. They tell me that they’re trying to move forward, but those nasty feelings keep stopping them, holding them back from where they really want to be.

The hard truth of the matter is that feelings are the final barrier in our freedom. We can resolve ourselves to a certain truth, but that doesn’t mean that feelings automatically fall in line with that resolve. For example, I may prayerfully decide to put an end to debilitating fear in my life, because I know that the truth is that God’s love is enough to drive away that fear (1 John 4:18). Unfortunately, even knowing that to be true does not immediately repel the feelings of fear that I still may experience.

We have to exercise and practice the art of standing on the truth and not letting feelings be the determining factor in our actions. Rather, our actions need to determine our feelings. Can that even be possible? At first, it may not seem so. That’s simply because feelings are not necessarily dependent on logic, truth, or reason. The good news, however, is that I have found that if I practice making my actions a stronger force in my life than my every feeling, eventually, the feelings will follow. It may not happen immediately, but practice makes perfect.

Today, start separating your feelings out of your stream of decision-making. Take a stand, act on what you know to be true, regardless of what you feel, and maybe, just maybe you’ll find that your feelings will eventually start to fall in line, as well.