Sometimes, I need to remind myself that it is faith, not feelings, that sustains me.While connecting emotionally with God is a wonderful experience, I have learned that if I rely on my feelings instead of my faith, my walk with God suffers, my perceptions change, and I begin reacting to every feeling that flies by, instead of maintaining the calm, proactive faith that God intends me to have.

Reactive Faith

Reactive faith responds to every emotional whim.

For example, if I perceive that others in worship service are feeling more of God’s presence than I am, a reactive faith would send me into an emotional spiral of“what’s wrong with me?”This line of thinking would then become self-fulling because my reactive faith would have caused me to become so self-focused that more than likely I wouldn’t be feeling God’s presence as much.

Reactive faith over-thinks and over-worries.

Reactive Faith worries if God will heal us. Worries if we will be able to pay our bills. Worries about job security. Worries about our kids, our future, and our financial stability. And Reactive Faith over-thinks our place in the world. Our influence…or lack of influence. Reactive Faith wonders if our kids will be there for us when we grow old. And if we will even get a chance to grow old. Reactive Faith analyzes the quality of our friendships. And becomes anxious when we hear of lay-offs, demotions, and the state of Homeland Security.

Like a goalie at a hockey game, reactive faith assumes a defensive position and waits for the next puck to fly.

Proactive Faith

Proactive Faith is calm, steady and sure. The Apostle Paul exampled Proactive Faith when he made his farewell address to the Ephesian Elders:

“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:22-24)

Proactive Faith is based on the Word of God, and not emotion.

WithProactive Faith, it doesn’t matter how we feel. It matters what the Word of God says. We may feel abandoned, but Proactive Faith rests in the fact that God never leaves us or forsakes us. (Deuteronomy 31:6) We may feel unloved, but Proactive Faith reminds itself that the Word of God promises that we are the apple of God’s eye. (Zechariah 2:8) We may panic because we are plagued with doubt, but Proactive Faith spends more time meditating on scripture because it knows that the Word of God says that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”(Romans 10:17)

Faith Not Feelings

Learning to walk by faith, not feelings, is a process. It takes time, practice, and diligence. If you have been operating in Reactive Faith, your knee-jerk reaction will be to take the Hockey-Goalie-Stance when your world gets upended. But, if you spend time nurturing your Proactive Faith with the Word of God, before long you will find yourself navigating life’s challenges with calm, steadiness, and assurance.

Let’s Pray

Precious Lord Jesus, forgive us for trusting our feelings more than the steady and sure faith of your Word. When our emotions run amuck, please remind us of the importance of grounding ourselves in your promises. Empower us to have Proactive Faith. In Your Holy name, Amen.