Feelings vs Faith! Help for Health and Any Area in Life! No more swinging from the chandeliers :)

Be careful what you pray for? I've heard that one many times! The power of prayer is pretty astounding. If we journaled along the course of life we'd be able to see that.

I prayed years ago to get better at managing insulin-dependent diabetics. It is something that usually the Endocrinologists are trained in and those of us in Family Medicine get the quickie version in school. I sought out training and people to educate me long before I'd actually need to use it and never really got what I needed. Here I am years later getting a VERY intense hands-on education because that is ALL I am doing all day when I'm at work! During this time that I am dealing with insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetics, it is bringing to even more full awareness how much our feelings tend to rule us. Let me explain..... Type 2 diabetes used to be managed by Endocrinologists because there weren't very many of these patients. Through the culture and way of life nowadays, there is such an overwhelming amount of diabetics (both kids and adults!) that they are needing more providers from Family Medicine and Internal Medicine to take care of their needs. Type 1 diabetes is basically the body attacking itself. Type 2 diabetes is a result of eating the wrong way and not exercising. Now, this is not to judge at all since a lot of people eat wrong and don't exercise "and get away with it" and don't get diabetes, but they do have other issues (believe me!) But let's just start with this example that I'm applying it to my life as well.

I started to see a correlation as I was counseling patients on lifestyle and controlling their diabetes and it truly can be used by me for my areas of lack of direction or lack of control over what I feel I should be doing.

As Priscilla Shirer said in Armor of God "Feelings change and are subject to external stimuli. Actions done in faith must be anchored in something more solid and fixed." The people with diabetes I talked to the last few weeks are letting feelings rule their decisions based on external stimuli and it is resulting in topsy turvy blood sugars, kidney damage, eye damage, heart damage and on and on. They tell me, well they just don't have time, they just have so many birthday parties where there is cake to eat, vacations that they want to indulge in yummy food, and on and on. Meanwhile, they are sacrificing their lives and not taking action. To me, I can think about how this can apply to so many areas of my life. If I let me feelings rule me and let external stimuli keep my life topsy turvy, the damage that is happening little by little may not be seen, but I'm never getting to where I move forward or have progress. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27) These 2 verses remind me that I'm not to be led by my feelings but by faith based on God's Word. There are going to be many many many opportunities to let feelings swing me all over the map, but I need to stay strong in God to be able to make any progress, have any peace and to keep myself strong and steady ......just like my diabetic patients who I work so hard to keep their blood sugar steady and not swinging high and low! I pray that as you sense an area of your life that is being ruled by feelings, that you would look at God as the source to anchor you! Love jennie