Faith Proved by Facts or Feelings

I received this question from a FEEL reader and it was timely as I have been thinking about this very thing the last weeks.

I'm curious what implications this has for evangelism which seems to be mostly about apologetics and intellectual reasons for God and Jesus. My husband has not been walking with God for the past few years which is awfully sad to me. Well-meaning people keep giving him books that defend Christianity intellectually. I'm about through with this!  I have felt for a long time that the struggle is for his heart and emotions, which seems to confound other people. I have a sinking feeling that people would rather give him a book than engage him emotionally.  I read your book because of this statement, "The true health of our spiritual lives is measured by how we feel."  I know you meant this for Christians following Christ, but I suspect that emotional health is key for someone who is considering accepting Christ's unconditional love.

What a great question!  First off, let me say that there is a place for facts and proofs - more power to those defending a faith that is true and a God that is truth.  Hard searching for truth will lead people to God.  That said, God's proof is also written on our hearts - has God changed us?  Can people see that in our faces and love for others?  Do we feel it?

If emotions, show us truth, if they are all tied up with what we know and believe we can say all the words to prove God and Jesus but those people are looking to see if these things are true for us, do WE really believe what we say?  Do you love me?  It would be a good exercise to systematize these things in the Bible but some things that come to mind for me include the commands not to divorce an unbeliever, but to live in a way that brings them to God.  The strongest testimonies and proofs for God are written upon our hearts and people know that instinctively.  That is what brings them over the edge - "You will know them by their love."

While we are giving arguments those around us are asking, "do YOU really believe it, do you feel it?"  Emotions show the truth, and to listen to the proofs, people need to see that you believe it in a way that it naturally overflows in real emotions toward God and others.

So how you FEEL about God and others?  Does it line up with the truths you give lip-service to?  For me, all to often it does not and that is when we need to do some business with God to get feeling right.  When people and churches get feelings and proofs together, on the same page, that is when we see people drawn to Jesus.