When you can't feel God - Back to Basics

For a while now, I have been asking myself, "Why can't I feel God?" It's even been a hard thing to admit to myself and to the strong Christians around me. I suppose my concern was that I hadn't necessarily felt the overwhelming presence of God in a good while. I'd pray, I'd read, I'd try to worship - but somehow I didn't feel God's presence. In my selfishness I felt abandoned, even forsaken. In my search for learning how to detect God's presence - I've learned two things.

First, is on me. Am I truly obeying God's word? Am I praying? Am I repenting?

• "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands you sinners, and purify your heart you double minded." James 4:8

Secondly, is that I shouldn't measure my relationship with God by what I "feel" are spiritual experiences.

• "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
• "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

I found a great article about this topic that enabled me to understand this idea of faith vs. feeling. Here are exerpts of the parts that spoke to me:

God can give you feelings

God could instantly give you feelings but in the long run it wouldn't help. Your faith must be in the bedrock of the Word of God, not the shifting sands of feelings. Emotions fluctuate wildly. God's word is solid. And the only way anyone can be a solid Christian is to ignore feelings and hold on to that word.

It's no use thinking, If God gave me some sort of sign or feeling it would strengthen my faith. You would be hoping to put your faith in the memory or the sign or feeling, rather than in the integrity of God. You are indicating that you regard what you see and feel are more dependable than Almighty God."

Should you believe your senses?

• A scientist says earth hurls through space at great speed; to you it seems motionless.

• A doctor says a mark on your body is cancer; to you it feels harmless.

• An electrician says a wire is dangerously live; to you it looks dead.

• A mechanic says your car needs oil immediately; you don’t think it’s necessary.

• A soldier says an area is sown with land-mines; you can’t see any.

Who should you believe: your senses, or the expert?

• Jesus says ‘if anyone loves me . . . my Father will love him and we will make our home with him’ (John 14:23); you feel empty.

• God says how often I would have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Matthew 23:37); you feel God is unfeeling.

• God says nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39); you feel something going wrong proves God no longer loves you.

• God says rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4); you feel there’s nothing to rejoice in.

• God says be not surprised at the painful trial you are suffering (1 Peter 4:12), we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom (Acts 14:22); you feel surprised.

• God says, he was bruised and wounded for you (Isaiah 53:5); you wonder if he loves you.

• God says your sins will be wiped out (Acts 3:9) and he will remember them no more (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12); you feel he is holding the past against you.

For as long as you look to feelings and circumstances to verify spiritual truth, you will be a weak Christian. But you can be a powerful spiritual conqueror by stubbornly clinging to the fact that the God who cannot lie is steadfastly devoted to you. Refuse to entertain any other thought. By having that resolve you have defeated the devil. He knows it doesn’t matter what he hits you with, you will cling to God, your strength, so he has less incentive to bother.

We march forward not by signs or warm fuzzies but by faith; stubbornly holding on to scriptural truth even when everything within us screams against it. That’s the path to spiritual honor.

Article written by Grantley Morris