Feelings vs. Action

Dictionary.com gives the following definitions for feeling and action:

Action –noun: the process or state of acting or of being active: something done or performed; act; deed. An act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity.

Feeling –noun: the general state of consciousness considered independently of particular sensations, thoughts, etc. ;a consciousness or vague awareness; an emotion or emotional perception or attitude; capacity for emotion, esp. compassion; a sentiment; attitude; opinion; feelings, sensibilities; susceptibilities; fine emotional endowment.

I feel like crying, tossing in the towel and giving up. Instead I read my scriptures, pull up my britches, put a smile on my face and go out and do what needs to be done.

I feel like screaming and breaking things, I choose to take a walk around the neighborhood until I feel calm enough to return to the house.

I feel like staying home from work today and calling in sick, I choose to get up, take a shower, get dressed and go to work and make it a good day.

I feel, I feel, and I feel. Sound familiar? How often do we feel one way but have to choose to act just the opposite? Daily, is my response. I battle between my feelings and my actions every single day. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose but in the end the blame falls squarely on my shoulders. If I let my feelings get the best of me I know it is because I chose to let that happen. Thankfully I can repent and through God’s grace and mercy I am blessed to live to see another day wherein I can control better the feelings and allow my actions to govern the day.

Not everyone does this though. Thousand of people get up each day feeling sad, depressed, angry, and out of sorts. They walk around taking their feelings out on the unsuspecting stranger that crosses their path at the wrong time, or the one who switches lanes without a signal light, or who can’t find their wallet and is holding up the line at the grocery store. You get the gist. We have been on both sides of the equation, the feeling and the acting.

How do we keep ourselves from crossing that line? For me, I have to pray, constantly and continuously. I have a running dialogue in my head telling myself that just because I feel one way doesn’t mean I get to act it out. I have to choose the right, the best, and the most appropriate action based on my godly principles not my fleshy feelings.