Making Your Decisions By Godly VALUES vs Your Feelings…
If you’re like most people, there are probably some changes you want to make this year.
And I’m sure there’s a piece of you that’s thinking you’ll get it done with more motivation or discipline.
I’m here to tell you there’s something that overrides and derails both motivation and discipline.
Your feelings.
And honestly, if you want to achieve anything significant in 2026, you might have to tell your feelings to sit down and be quiet.
Feelings tell you to eat another cookie when you’ve already had enough.
Feelings tell you to sleep in instead of working out.
Feelings tell you to watch one more episode of your favorite show rather than going to bed on time.
Feelings tell you something doesn’t matter very much when God might think it matters A TON.
Feelings tell you you’re not feeling very spiritual today so you’ll read your Bible and pray later when you feel more inspired.
Basically, feelings tell us to kick the can down the road and deal with things later when it’s convenient.
The problem is, living by God’s values is almost never convenient.
The enemy loves to get us to live in our feelings.
But God wants us to live and make decisions by HIS values.
Feelings can change in a nanosecond.
Feelings are influenced by hunger, lack of sleep, and what the people around us are doing.
VALUES are constant.
What God values is eternal.
When you live by feelings, you’re like an ocean wave, constantly dashed against the shore as winds and tides change.
When you live by godly values, you become the lighthouse ON the shore, undisturbed by waves and storms, shining light to those around you.
You’ll have peace, persistence, and quiet but determined resilience because of it.
Most of the drama in your head exists because you are wrestling with keeping a decision, not MAKING a decision.
(Please read that AGAIN.)
Let me explain with an example.
Most of you know about that “Come to Jesus” meeting I had with myself in 2017 when I realized that if I didn’t do something drastic, I wouldn’t be able to carry my grandkids one day because I wouldn’t be strong enough.
I have zero resistance around working out every single morning.
NONE.
I may be a little tired some mornings.
I might get downstairs to my exercise room later than usual.
My workout might be shorter or less intense.
But there is absolutely ZERO drama in my mind about whether or not I WILL work out.
Because that’s what "Grandma Dorothy" DOES.
Tired or unmotivated are FEELINGS, not values.
What I value is keeping the promise I made to God during that Come to Jesus meeting that I would make this body as healthy as I could if He would let me.
So what does this look like for you?
What decision do you need to make based on godly values and then IGNORE the feelings that come up so you can carry it out?
Is it honoring God with your food choices?
Your sleep habits?
Is it taking thoughts captive and refusing to believe the lies that say you aren’t good enough or that you don’t matter?
Is it finally taking action on something God has been nudging you about for years?
What is it?
And WHY is it valuable?
Reminding yourself why this matters, the value of pursuing it in God’s eyes, will help you achieve it.
Make a list of why it’s valuable.
Review it OFTEN.
That’s what Jesus did for us when things got hard for Him.
He did not FEEL like going to the Cross. We know this because of what’s recorded about the Garden of Gethsemane.
He said,
Not MY will, but YOUR will be done.
And He went to the Cross for US.
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
His joy was our eternal freedom.
Set that joy before you, the VALUE of what God is asking you to do, DAILY.
Whatever it is God wants you to do this year, I believe in you!
Remember what we learned last year.
There is no room for apathy in the life of a child of God.
In passionate purpose,
Dorothy