Learning to Trust God’s Word Above Our Feelings and Follow the Leadership of the Holy Spirit
As human beings, our feelings and emotions can be very powerful. Sometimes they make what we’re going through seem so big that we can’t see past it. We become angry, disappointed, fearful, or frustrated, and before we know it, we’re making decisions based on how we feel instead of what God says. There’s nothing wrong with having emotions. Heavenly Father created us with the ability to feel, but He never intended for our feelings to take charge of our lives. The enemy knows that when we’re upset or discouraged, we can become more vulnerable to his tricks. He wants us so focused on what we’re feeling that we forget what God has told us in His Word.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) tells us, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Faith isn’t limited to what our eyes can see, what our ears can hear, or what our circumstances seem to be telling us. We can be facing something difficult and still believe that God is faithful. We can be disappointed about an outcome and still trust that Heavenly Father knows what He’s doing. Faith doesn’t mean that everything will turn out exactly the way we want. It means that we trust God because of who He is. His goodness doesn’t change when our circumstances change, and neither does the truth of His Word.
Galatians 5:16 (NLT) says, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” This verse helps us understand that our sinful nature has desires that are contrary to the Will of God. Our minds, wills, and emotions are part of who we are, but they must come under the authority of God’s Word. When we’re tempted to respond in anger, hold on to bitterness, or do something we know is wrong, we have a choice. We can give in to those desires, or we can surrender to the Holy Spirit and obey God.
Jesus Christ also tells us in John 16:13 (NLT), “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” The Holy Spirit doesn’t lead us according to whatever happens to feel right at the moment. He leads us in truth, and His leadership will always agree with God’s Word. This is why we must spend time studying the Bible, praying, and learning to recognize when our thoughts and desires aren’t pleasing to God. We can’t expect to grow spiritually if we’re constantly allowing our feelings to make our decisions for us.
Every day, we’re going to face situations that challenge our faith and test our willingness to obey God. There will be times when doing what’s right won’t be what we feel like doing. That’s when we must remember that following Jesus Christ requires us to surrender our own way of thinking and living. We don’t have to allow our sinful nature to control us. Through the Holy Spirit, we can learn to make decisions that honor Heavenly Father. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we allowing our flesh to lead us, or are we allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives?■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Who’s Leading Your Life—Your Flesh or the Holy Spirit?”,written by KLizzie for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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