Hooked on the Truth or Feelings?

Ever find yourself humming an old song from your youth? I don’t know where they come from except they must be in the deep recesses of our memory.  Yesterday “Hooked on a Feeling” was playing in my mind and I found myself sure enough humming it.  It’s as though B J Thomas himself was in my office.

Although the song itself is a love song, the words speak to me about feelings. I often get hooked on feelings. I would bet you do too.   There are times when a phrase will come to my mind out of the blue trying to convince me that my feelings are the real truth.

We usually recognize the lies that are in direct proportion to our knowledge of God’s truth. Those are such thoughts as “God’s not real is He? “Did Jesus really die on the cross?”  “Was Jesus really resurrected?” “Is the Bible true?”  Even though we may know the truth, those doubt provoking words can change our feelings if we’re not careful. 

Other times we are in a transition of some sort. Sometimes it’s after an encounter with change. Or fear. Or decision making. It can be what another has said about us in anger or rejection. Sometimes it’s because we’ve messed up – you know the phrase “I’m so stupid” or how about “I’m just a mess up”.  Other feelings come to mind as thoughts like, “God doesn’t love you”.  There are even self-talk thoughts that come to mind, “I hate myself”, “nobody loves me”, “I’m ugly” or well you can fill in the words.

If we’re not careful we will get “hooked on a feeling” and our life will spiral downward. We’ll take those wrong thoughts and dwell on them, take them in and begin to live them out. 

We have an enemy and he has a name and he is real. And he’s real good at putting his thoughts in our minds and replaying them over and over at just the right time.  He’s a user. He will use our thoughts of guilt, condemnation, fear, anxiety, worthlessness, hopelessness, and self-hatred against us.

God speaks to my heart: Oh precious child of mine. Did you hear those words? I said precious child.  And I speak the truth. Who are you listening to? What are you filling your mind with? Why are you listening to the father of lies? I AM your Real Father and My Words are Real Truth! I AM your protector, not just of your physical life, but of your emotional and spiritual life as well!  The more you take in My Truth and hearken to My Words, the more you will be able to dispel the lies of darkness.  And the more you let Me put My thoughts into your heart, the more you will be able to share My truth with others!

Oh beloved, God says you are indeed beloved. And His Word says you are beautiful, redeemed, blessed, fruitful…and much, much more. Run to His Word this morning and take it in, find it, read it, meditate on it and live it out. As you become more hooked on God’s truth you will be able to shut down the feelings that try to fill your mind. What God says about you is pure truth, because above all God loves you and He’s for you and that’s what really matters isn’t it?

 Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

John 10:10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Romans 8:34 Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 139:17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!