Instincts are feelings but feelings aren't always instincts

Sometimes feelings are just that -- feelings. The guy who wrote "Change Your Brain Change Your Life" has much knowledge from God. He has been given insight to help people psychologically. Why he believes in evolution to an extent, I don't know. Hence why I take what the Lord wishes to show me, and leaving the rest. But he has made some fantastic points, some of which are things people have been telling me for years: thoughts are real and they affect your entire body; talk back to negative thoughts and feelings and expose them for what they are; fill your mind with positive feedback (he even started that chapter with Philippians 4:8: "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.").

The Word of God is mighty fine place to start. When in doubt, read God's Word. He thinks higher of you than anybody else. In fact, when you read things like Psalm 139 you realize that He not only loves you and thinks highly of you, He is obsessed with you! No one else cares how many hairs are on your head (in some cases so long as there's enough to cover it, right? :-P). He knows when you sleep, He knows when you wake up, He can start our thoughts and He is even acquainted with all our ways. Good and bad. He knows us through and through. He knows our strengths, and He surely knows our ever weakness. He knows where we struggle and fall the most. It doesn't surprise Him when we make the same mistakes over and over again. It saddens and frustrates Him, certainly, because He knows it's not worth it, He knows how much better it is not to stumble. But He's not surprised. And "He remembers that we are dust." (Ps. 103:14)

And though He punishes us or lets our sin run its course to show us how much sin hurts us and those around us, He never gives us what we deserve unless we die unsaved. "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities." (Ps. 103:10) In other words: life isn't fair, praise God. Because if it were, we would be living in hell on earth. Don't get mad at God because He isn't being fair. You don't want Him to be fair. "Fair" would be saying that, "I said you have to be perfect to be with Me, so unless you're perfect you're not getting into heaven, and I'm not sending My Son to die for you self-righteous, unthankful, cursing creatures." But praise God that He is not only Just and Righteous, but He is merciful beyond comprehension. His mercy doesn't make sense. His laws make sense. His punishments make sense. His mercy doesn't make sense. It is because of Himself that mercy makes any sense at all. Because He decided that His love for us would not be complete by simply being sorrowful and angry with our barbarous ways. He decided that His love would not be complete without mercy. His mercy is the taste of goodness we receive in this world. His mercy says that all is not lost. His mercy is why life isn't fair. As Christian speaker Voddie Baucham said at a Desiring God conference, asking "If God is so good how come bad things happen?" is the wrong way to ask the question. "You ask, 'How can a God who is Righteous, and Holy, know what I did, and said, and thought in yesterday not kill me in my sleep last night?' Because until you ask the question that way, you believe in the supremacy of Man." When you ask the question that way, you realize it is not the supremacy of Man, but the Supremacy of God.

So today, when something bad happens, or somebody wrongs you, or you wrong somebody else, or you just plain ol' wrong our Lord GOD, humble yourself and praise God that life's not fair.

"If you don't take me to Paris,

On a lover's getaway

It's alright, it's alright

If I'd rather wear your t-shirt

Than a sexy negligee

It's alright, it's alright

Every dinner doesn't have to be candlelit

It's kinda nice to know that it

Doesn't have to be perfect,

Maybe every little piece

Of the puzzle doesn't always fit

Perfectly

Love can be rough around the edges

Tattered at the seams

Honey, if it's good enough for you

It's good enough for me

...If in every wedding picture

My daddy looks annoyed

It's alright, it's alright

Don't you know that all the fairy tales tell a lie

'Cause real love and real life

Doesn't have to be perfect

Maybe every little piece of the puzzle

Doesn't always fit

Perfectly

Love can be rough around the edges

Tattered at the seams

Honey, if it's good enough for you

It's good enough for me

Oh, you don't mind if I show up late for everything

And when you lose your cool

It's kinda cute to me

Hey ain't it nice to know that we don't have to be

Perfect,

Maybe every little piece of the puzzle

Doesn't always fit

Perfectly

Love can be rough around the edges

Tattered at the seams

Honey if it's good enough for you

It's good enough for me

Oh, it's good enough for me

Yeah, you're good enough for me

Oh, you're good enough for me"

-Sara Evans, Perfect