Often in church I hear pastors say we can’t trust our emotions which I do believe to be true, but how have you discerned whether your gut feelings are rooted in fear or faith. I’m at a cross roads at the moment and I can’t quite figure out which path to take. I know God will be with me either way, and I’m thankful for that, but I’m really struggling to figure out which path is right.

Based on Romans, I would say assess whether you are a slave to your emotions or if you are under the yoke of fear.

If you feel there is a certain level of bondage, I would say it’s probably something that is not stemming from God.

Emotions are different than intuition. The emotion is the flow of feelings and accompanying thoughts you get when you think about something that is high stakes or otherwise significant for you. Intuition or gut feeling is a deep seated sense that tells you a choice either does or doesn't resonate with your core being. If you're at a decision point and don't know which way to go, pray until you feel the polarized emotions of the moment receding. Then contemplate the paths before you and imagine yourself in the future as if you had chosen one or the other, and living the end result. Usually it will be obvious that one just doesn't feel right while one puts you at ease. That's how you know which one to choose.

I was in the same situations multiple times in my life, and I have learned a couple of the things that maybe you could benefit from:
1) Don’t “box” God by asking him is it this or that? Just ask Him to show you His will and to align the desires of your heart with His.
2) When you go to God in prayer and ask Him something, approach it with a childlike assurance that He will deliver - no matter what that looks like.
3) Isaiah 65:24 “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Know that He hears you, and He is already working on it.
4) Even if you can’t physically see what God is doing, He is constantly working in the background, not just to give you “things” but to transform you with ever-increasing glory into His likeness so that you are able to clearly hear His direction.
5) We have a gift that we should not take for granted, which is the Holy Spirit living in us. It is literally the Spirit of God within you. If you can’t hear it, there might be too much noise in your life. Try to strip away the distractions and just be alone with God. Take time to pray but also time to listen and be in His presence.
6) I’ve learned that the deeper you know God, the easier it is to deal with these choices. Not because He will magically send a sign from the heavens, but because living your purpose in Him will com first and everything else will follow.

Are your thoughts or decisions faced on whats in scripture? Thats usually a good place to start.

The Bible is always a good level setter. And wise council!

Thanks everyone for your input. The decision is around marriage. He is a great man of God, but there is a deep rooted fear / doubt that I am facing. I am not sure if it is from the enemy, trying to destroy something from God by preying on my insecurities, or if it is a nudge from God. Scripture lays out what a Godly marriage is very clearly, and I do believe we would have that, and he is everything I have ever prayed for in a future spouse, however, knowing that marriage is for life, I can’t help but question if this feeling will go away and I will find peace, or if it isn’t the right time, even though he is a great man. I think the church I am in has influenced me into thinking that I should strive for marriage, but a lot of me also wants to prioritize my career and adventure. I know marriage is a gift from God, but as a wife it will require a lot of submission and sacrifice I am not sure I am ready for at 24. Managing my faith and my desire to have a successful career has always been something I struggled with, because often I feel like chasing a career is looked down upon in the church. I know ultimately whatever comes from all of this, God is good and faithful and that will remain true, so I have a lot of peace amidst it all. I appreciate you all weighing in, and would appreciate your prayers for discernment as well

From my own experience with career progression, I’ve learned that God is more interested in 1. Your faith in him 2. Your trust in Him and 3. Reliance in Him throughout the decision making process. If we are following Him in the ways we clearly know how (trusting His sovereignty and that His will is best), He makes decisions and paths clear. I suggest prayer and fasting on the issue and asking for wisdom and revelation into what God’s will is in the situation and seeing what He does with that. You may find yourself experiencing more peace about one option or a conviction over one option more than the other. I will pray God reveals it to you! God is interested in sanctifying your heart and leading you closer to Him. The process is more important than the decision!

2 Corinthians 10:15. I try not to go off feelings anymore. Ended up in bad situations off feelings vs. being led by God.

Wow, I’m glad to stumble across a Christian bowl!

Lots of good thoughts presented. I believe God speaks through:
1. His word
2. The wisdom of others (emphasis on those who love the Lord)
3. General revelation, aka creation
4. The Spirit
5. Our conscience and emotions.

We want to have the mind of Christ and to know first what God says to be true about us:
1. He loves and Jesus died for us
2. He is pleased with us as we are, we don’t have to earn his love
3. He has made us to be able to experience joys and sadness and emotions help us to understand when our boundaries have been crossed.

Being able to explore our emotions allows us to find empathy and compassion for others in hard places. It gives us a unique gift to share with others in need and our loved ones when they are in need of love. They can also return the same when we need it.

Don’t know if this helps. 🤪😄