God’s Focus on Feelings:
God’s Part – Part 1

Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:9-16

Key Verse: Philippians 2:13

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Where is God in our feelings?  We know the Bible speaks of walking by faith.  Is faith all God looks at, dismissing our feelings?  Certainly faith is the center of God’s force in us, but feelings are used by God to do His good work as well!

            In our printed key verse for today, the Apostle Paul writes that God is working in His children to “will.”  The Greek word that Paul chooses for “will,” thelo, refers to desire; to wish, to take delight in, have pleasure!  God’s work in us includes our feelings.  What we feel is not all us!  God understands us better than we understand ourselves, thus He knows feelings are important.  God wants us to put forth our best, and our desire to do that is necessary to truly be at our best!

            I think we have all done jobs that we were not fond of yet we needed to do them.  We can do those jobs well, but if we are going to sustain our best, I believe we need to have our desires cooperate with our determination.  In other words, we do our best work over the long haul when we are doing what we love!  That is not a bad thing; God made us that way.  I believe it was part of His plan.  Paul wrote about the church being made up of many parts working together.  He was saying the church with its many individual passions makes a great team to accomplish God’s purposes!

Father, you made me after your image.  Help me to honor who I am and do my best to accomplish the work you’ve purposed in me.  I ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.