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You are here: Home / All Posts / Why do we need good feelings?

Why do we need good feelings?

April 1, 2018 by Sheri

Have you ever wondered why we need good feelings?

Have you ever felt guilty for asking God for good feelings?

I have.

“God gave us emotions to experience life, not destroy it.” This line from Unglued, by Lysa Terkheurst, made me stop and think. If I need emotions to experience life, why do I feel guilty when I ask God for good feelings? Do I not want to experience the good in my life?

I came to the conclusion that I have subconsciously believed, to some degree, that good feelings are meaningless extras. Unnecessary, but fun.

This brought to mind The Pursuit of God, by A. W. Tozer. Tozer leaves no doubt about our need to feel in order to experience God, and, therefore, desire to pursue Him further.

That made my brain spin. What about the deceitful heart and all that? I wasn’t sure I agreed with Tozer, for a while. But I as I considered my own journey, I realized that every time I’ve felt peace or joy from being with God, my faith in His goodness has grown. If I had never felt those things, can know I have them when I don’t feel anything?

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think I can.

I don’t always feel peace or even love toward God. I know I love Him. But how do I know that? Because I have already experienced Him. I have felt the joy, love, and peace of His presence deeply and often enough in the past. So today, when I feel dry and empty, I still know He is a good God. This trust will only deepen as I experience more of Him.

That is why we need good feelings.

 

I challenge you, dear readers, to remember a good experience you’ve had with God and keep that memory near when you’re struggling. Don’t be afraid to ask for more good feelings. Not just to fulfill your desires, but to deepen your faith in God and His goodness.

What experience comes to mind as you ponder His goodness to you personally?

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Comments

  1. Jebraun says

    April 3, 2018 at 5:11 am

    I love this, Sheri. I also struggled with the idea that emotions were somehow frivolous and unnecessary. Then I figured out that they are the filter through which we experience reality and can actually be a great boon to our faith when our emotions are reflecting the truth: that God is great and worthy of our praise. The Psalms are a beautiful example of all the emotions available to us as humans—some good and some bad—and I love how David often tells his emotions to get in line (“why are you cast down, oh my soul?” For example). So there’s nothing wrong with enjoying and asking for good emotions in my opinion!

    • Sheri says

      April 3, 2018 at 9:41 pm

      Thanks, Jeb! I like how you described them as a filter. I love that God uses both good and bad feelings to teach us about His greatness. And the Psalms help with that so much!

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About Sheri

Here Goes Something New!

Hi, I'm Sheri Yutzy. I love forests under the night sky, trying new foods, and drinking Irish tea. I've been to 21 countries, and once spent the night in a hotel lobby in Florence, Italy, because the entire city was fully booked for a festival.
I'm married to a musician who looks good in black, mama to three curious kids, and happy resident of a Cape Cod cottage in Ohio.
I write YA fantasy and am acquisitions editor at sparkflashfiction.com.
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My agent and I have been discussing tropes, namely My agent and I have been discussing tropes, namely the ✨enemies to lovers✨trope. It’s always been my favorite form of romance, but she has helped me see it doesn’t fit every situation.😅

However, I am realizing that ✨enemies to lovers✨ is a lot more nuanced than I thought. 
Questions I have: 
Is it still ✨enemies to lovers✨ if only one of them thinks the other is an enemy? (Sorcery of Thorns)
Are there other versions, like 
✨irritated to lovers✨
✨suspicious to lovers✨
✨reluctant stalker to lovers✨ (my current favorite)

How do you view a common trope like this? Is it all just one big category to you? Or are there subcategories that you like?

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Some of my favorite photos from the past few weeks Some of my favorite photos from the past few weeks…

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A reminder that sometimes the best growth comes as A reminder that sometimes the best growth comes as a surprise. You learn the most when things feel hard and it seems like nothing is happening but painful waiting. Believe me, your roots are stirring and stretching beneath your soil. Your season is coming, though it may still be a surprise.

#seethebeautyineverything #thoughtfulliving #fosterthoughtfulness #bethoughtful #lessonslearned #thoughtfulness #findingrest #findrest #restfulsunday #restfulday #restfulness #restfulweekend #restfuldays #restful #slowlifestylemovement #beautyinthemundane #creativelive #smallthingsinlife #seethebeautyaroundyou #embracingaslowerlife #slowliving_create #inspiringsimplicity #ordinarymagic #alittlemagiceveryday #themagicineveryday #chooselovely #gowildlyandslow #allthebeautifulthings #awakethelight #sheriyutzy
The slow reading has been a mixture of restorative The slow reading has been a mixture of restorative and boring. (If you didn’t see my previous post, I’m not reading eBooks for a while and focusing on my own bookshelves.) 
I’m currently reading:
THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Apostolic Fathers
The Complete Works of Emily Dickinson. 

The Apostolic Fathers I bought recently, but the other two I’ve owned for years. It’s strangely relaxing to read slowly, with no sense of rush to finish what I’m reading. I also must admit the urge to read just isn’t as high when it’s not a high tension thriller or atmospheric mystery.😏 

I still have beautiful books like the ones pictured on my shelves, waiting to be read, but I’m hesitant to break the spell of reading classics. It’s also a difficult time for me to read in my own genre, because I’m finishing up edits for THE SELLER, and drafting a science fantasy project. Working on two projects at once is taxing enough without adding in other similar worlds and characters.

When I first noticed my lack of desire to read my own genre, I worried it wasn’t the one I should be writing anymore. But over the years I see that desire ebb and flow depending on how much writing I’m doing in that genre. It can be inspiring to read a lovely book similar to the one I’m writing, but more often it slows me down with doubt and insecurity. I prefer to read them when I’m between projects, or on a break during drafting or editing.

Can you read books in your genre while you draft or edit?

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