Feelings Do Not Define Truth

"The Iron Rod is the word of God; 'Twill safely guide us through"
*

Here is a quote I found that I should probably memorize and tell myself when I am out of sorts.

"My feelings are not God.  God is God.  My feelings do not define truth.  God's word defines truth.  My feelings are echos and responses to what my mind perceives.  And sometimes -- many times -- my feelings are out of sync with truth."                                               John Piper

I have discovered over time that feelings are created by thoughts, and we can think what we want, even if it isn't true.  I can think someone is mean when they aren't.  I can think someone doesn't like me when they do.  But if I think either of those things, I might find myself being afraid, or sad, when the truth is that I am safe, and the reason I have for being sad isn't even true.

When something happens to us, we may think the thing that happens creates our feelings, but it is what we think about what happens that really does.  This doesn't mean that we can or should choose happy all of the time.  There is a "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance" (Ecc. 3:4).  It does mean that we shouldn't automatically believe that our feelings are truth, or are a result of truth.  Our feelings may very well be "out of sync with truth"!

I believe the more we read and understand God's word, the more we will be able to recognize when we are believing something false -- or at least to recognize that what we are believing might not be truth, and so we should check!

*Hymn # 274
Hymn Book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Picture used by permission from churchofJesusChrist.org