Let your Feelings Fuel your Faith
Don’t let your feelings replace your faith—let them fuel it. God’s love stays even when your emotions rise and fall. This is one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in my life, and yet one of the most freeing.
As a sensitive young girl, I thought my feelings were a problem. Crying meant weakness. Feeling too much meant being too much. I worried that being tender made me less bold, less strong, less enough. I thought if I let my emotions run, they might take over and steer me away from God. And for a long time, I tried to silence them, push them away, or hide them. I tried to be stronger than my own heart, and I failed.
“God made me to feel. My empathy, my compassion, my heartbreak—they’re all gifts, not flaws. ”
But here’s the truth: God made me to feel. My empathy, my compassion, my heartbreak—they’re all gifts, not flaws. They are tools God created to help me see His Spirit at work, to connect deeply with people, and to understand the weight of the stories around me. My sensitivity is not a weakness; it is a way God has wired me to feel the world and love more fully. And my feelings don’t weaken my faith—they activate it. They help me connect to God, to the Spirit, and to the hearts of those around me.
When I worship, when I listen to someone’s story, when I cry over the beauty or pain of life, my feelings make me present, humble, and alive in God’s love. They remind me that faith is not just a thought or a set of rules—it is living, breathing, and relational. Feelings, when guided by God’s love, help me move toward compassion, mercy, and grace in a way that is real and transformative.
And here’s the most important truth: God’s love stays. His love does not vanish when emotions run high. It does not retreat when you are unsure, raw, or overwhelmed. His love anchors your faith, so your feelings can move through you without moving you away from Him. God’s love—love that stays—creates a safe place for you to experience your emotions fully while remaining grounded in truth.
“His love does not vanish when emotions run high. It does not retreat when you are unsure, raw, or overwhelmed. His love anchors your faith, so your feelings can move through you without moving you away from Him.”
So, how do we let our feelings fuel our faith instead of overpowering it? Here are three simple practices:
Name the feeling—but don’t crown it king. Say, “This is how I feel—and this is what I believe.” Let your faith lead, but allow your emotions to speak honestly. Acknowledging feelings doesn’t mean giving them control.
Filter emotions through God’s character, not circumstance. Ask, “What does God’s steadfast love say about this moment?” Feelings interpret life; God’s love interprets truth. When we filter our emotions through His unchanging character, we find perspective, hope, and guidance.
Bring your emotions to God, not isolation. Pray, worship, and read His Word. God’s love can handle what you feel. Love that stays can meet you in your rawest moments without fear, without judgment, and without abandoning you.
Your feelings are a gift. Your faith is a choice. And God’s love—love that stays—is the safe place where both can meet. Let your feelings fuel your faith, and let your faith anchor your feelings. In doing so, you will experience a life that is sensitive, compassionate, and fully alive in the presence of God.
