Religious Feelings

I was encouraged to write about this by Kris Barger's comment on his blog: Pass the Salt Please, when he asked Do Feelings Matter? Does the way you feel about God, about the Church, about people in general or yourself really matter in terms of how, why or when (or if) you choose to worship God?

For anyone that knows me, I'm a rather emotional person . . . for a man, that is. I struggle with depression on a weekly basis. For the most part, I know this is a chemical issue rather than a true emotional one, but it feels emotional nonetheless. I try to nurture my emotions though; God gave them to me for a reason, I'm assuming. But on the other hand, quite often I do not feel like being a Christian, or worshipping God or even loving my fellow man (they can be so annoying, right?). It's all too much sometimes to feel like doing the right thing. I'd much rather do my own thing.

That said, sometimes my "religious feelings" are all I have. I can't logically tell you why I believe in God, at least not to a high degree of certainty. Philosophy fails all too often to bring real meaning to my life. It's the subjective, emotional reality of God's presence that is often more compelling. When I'm playing my little guitar chords or simple bass lines and I'm feeling connected with the other musicians and the rest of the congregation, that's when God seems most real. When I see something on TV that really tugs on my heart, that's when I feel God the most. God is there when my compassion and love (which have strong emotional components) are most active.