Decisions: Facts or Feelings?

How Should Christians Make Decisions

Jan 12, 2025

Have you ever needed to make an important decision but were torn over two or more choices? Of course, you have. At some point, everyone struggles. The difficulty everyone faces at some time, consciously or unconsciously, is the battle of feelings (emotions) versus facts.

Yet, “how” we make decisions can and should directly reflect our connection to God. Should we, as Christians, be guided by our feelings and emotions or only by facts.

What does God expect of us when making decisions?

Note: Most people consider feelings and emotions one and the same. We will use the terms interchangeably as we start this discussion.

How We Choose

So, why is it so difficult to always know the right thing to choose? How is it that we often choose wrong when stressed?

Psychologists tell us that people generally make decisions by blending facts and emotions. However, emotions usually have a stronger impact, especially when under stress or facing challenging situations.¹

Wouldn’t it logically always be facts? Off the cuff, I would have thought that most people try to make decisions based on fact, not emotion. Wrong!

Being one who is biased toward facts, I forget that humans are naturally emotional beings. How do I know this? The scripture says we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Part of God’s image is ... Surprise! ... emotions (more on God’s emotions below).

Hmmm. What about God’s emotions and His decisions? Well, God being God, His decisions are perfectly blended between fact and emotion. The problem is that when we, corrupted by sin, face tough circumstances, emotions like fear, worry, anger, or hope may take over.¹

Yet, facts do play a role. Since facts, if known, don’t argue against themselves, any difficulty with a decision usually suggests a battle in our mind between facts and feelings. In some cases, circumstances strongly influence which “should” be dominant.

It can be overwhelming when you don’t know whether to choose facts or emotions as the dominant guide to your response to a stressful circumstance or choice. The problem is choosing whether it is 100% facts or 100% emotions. Or is it somewhere in between?

Understanding Facts, Feelings, and Emotions

Before we get too far along, we need to clarify some terms and definitions.

Facts

Knowledge is knowing facts or, in a wider sense, accumulating facts. Facts, for the most part, don’t change. Of course, some will argue that facts never change, and others think that facts are ever evolving.

However, if you consider it carefully, the problem is not that a fact has changed or evolved. Instead, our perception or understanding of it has changed. The apparent change comes when we realize our prior understanding or view of the fact was incomplete.

To stay on point, we will avoid any discussion about facts and knowledge being separate ideas. For our discussion, I will consider “facts” and “knowledge” to be one and the same.

Feeling and Emotions

Although most people think of feelings and emotions as the same, they are really two distinct concepts in which one flows from the other. Psychologist Paul Eckman² states that there are six basic universal emotions: happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger.

Psychologist Robert Plutchik³ has a slightly different set of basic emotions: joy, sadness, trust, disgust, fear, anger, surprise, and anticipation, which combine like a color wheel to form all other emotions.

Feelings flow from emotions
Two people can experience the same emotion and have different feelings. Two people could argue over some subject. Both get angry. One leaves and ”feels” *frustrated* because he or she thinks the other person is not listening.
The second person “feels” *jealous* because the first person seemed to reap some benefit from the disagreement.
Both experienced the same emotion of “anger” from conversation, but each left with different “feelings.”

Although both are suspect, feelings, more so than emotions, can be seen from the beginning as untrustworthy and not a sound basis for making good decisions. As you will see, the lack of trust in feelings and emotions is consistent with Biblical teaching.

The Connection: Emotions and Facts

So, what about emotions? Where do they come from? The short answer is “facts.”

The problem with emotions is this. Most likely, the individuals in the example above understood the “facts” of their discussion differently. This led to the same emotion, “anger,” but to different “feelings.”

How can facts be seen differently? Aren’t facts ... facts? We must realize that our understanding of a fact can differ from others based on our differing perspectives. These perspectives can ultimately lead to different “feelings.” Consider:

Two people observe a man standing on the sidewalk. One sees him from the front and one from the back. The man is holding a small baby tightly to his chest. When asked how many people they saw, one will say just one, while the other will say two. They each answered truthfully and factually based on their perspective. The facts seem contradictory without further investigation. Yet, both are true, which can lead us to the same or different emotions that lead to different feelings.

This reminds us to be careful and allow for other perspectives until we have investigated and fully understood “the facts.”

So, here’s where we run into trouble. Since feelings flow from emotions, which flow from facts, and facts can sometimes be difficult to determine, can we trust feelings and emotions?

How We Should Choose

Fortunately, the Bible gives a good foundation for decision making. It provides lots of advice and principles to help us make decisions.

However, let’s start by noting that God has emotions and feelings, and man, created in His image, naturally inherited emotions and feelings from God. Of course, God’s emotions and feelings are perfect because they flow from His holiness. However, our emotions and feelings can be corrupted by the effect of our sin.

So, we understand that emotions are not inherently bad. God gives them to us as a guide to help us make good decisions. However, God cautions us to keep our emotions in control and seek knowledge as the basis for making decisions. Consider the following verses (not exhaustive lists):

God’s Emotions:

1) God *rejects* Israel’s priests (anger, sadness, disgust) Hosea 4:6

2) God is *compassionate* and slow to *anger* (joy, happiness, anger) Psalm 86:15

3) God has *love* for people (joy, happiness, trust) Jona 2:8, John 3:16, Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:7 ...

4) God recognizes and gives *happiness* and *joy* (happiness, joy) Psalm 68:3

God’s Cautions About Emotions (And Feelings)

1) Cast your anxiety on Jesus. Be of sober spirit. (I Peter 5:-8)

2) Do not be anxious (Philippians 4:6)

3) Be patient and exercise self-control (Proverbs 15:32)

4) Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19-20)

5) Don’t fall for persuasive (emotional/feelings based) arguments (Colossians 2:4)

6) Control your thoughts (feelings) (2 Cor.: 10 5)

7) Don’t get angry, abandon wrath, don’t get upset (Psalm 37:8)

God’s Instructions Regarding Knowledge (Facts)

1) Destroy arguments, arrogance, and thoughts against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:5)

2) An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the wise seeks knowledge (Proverbs 18:15)

3) Grow in knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 3:18)

4) Apostles pray for followers to be filled with the knowledge of His will regarding spiritual wisdom and understanding. (Col.: 1:9-10)

5) People are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)

6) Attain the knowledge of Christ to become a mature man, able to avoid being tossed about by waves and trickery of people or crafty scheming. (Ephesians 4:13-14)

Five Principles of Christian Decision Making

1. Balance Emotions with Wisdom and Self-Control

Principle: Emotions are valid but should be governed by wisdom, patience, and self-control to avoid poor decision-making.

2. Seek Knowledge and Spiritual Understanding

Principle: We should prioritize learning, acquiring knowledge, seeking understanding, and God’s wisdom. We should particularly seek the knowledge and understanding of God that will lead to spiritual understanding.

3. Anchor Decisions in Prayer and Scripture

Principle: Regularly seek God’s guidance in prayer and consult Scripture to ensure decisions align with His will and righteousness.

4. Exercise Caution in Listening and Speaking

Principle: Be "quick to hear, slow to speak" (James 1:19) and avoid falling for persuasive arguments or rash words. Take time to listen carefully, think critically, and respond thoughtfully to ensure sound decisions.

5. Trust God to Overcome Anxiety in Decision-Making

Principle: Anxiety (a feeling) can cloud judgment. Believers are advised to remain calm and trust in God’s provision and guidance. Trust in God’s sovereignty and let go of anxiety to make clear, faith-driven decisions. (Another Blog someday, “Faith grows from fact!”.

Summary of the Five Principles:

Balance Emotions with Wisdom: Govern emotions with patience and self-control based on facts.
Seek Knowledge: Acquire wisdom and understanding, mainly through God’s Word.
Anchor in Prayer and Scripture: Rely on God’s guidance through prayer and biblical principles.
Exercise Caution in Communication: Be thoughtful in listening and speaking to avoid impulsive decisions.
Overcome Anxiety with Trust: Relinquish fear (emotion) and anxiety (feeling) by trusting God’s direction.

These principles highlight a holistic approach to decision-making, incorporating emotional regulation, the pursuit of knowledge (facts), prayerful reliance on God, and the practical wisdom of scripture.

Contrary to our natural tendency, the scripture suggests we favor fact over emotion and feelings, but not to the exclusion of either. However, facts should be viewed from a Biblical perspective, guided by our knowledge of God’s Word.

Closing

Decision making is a unique activity for Christians in that it overlaps all three areas of the “Getting God” triangle.

It reflects what God expects of us in our relationship to Him. It reflects the emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual relationship God expects us to have with ourselves. It reflects what God expects of us in our relationships with others.

People will see, or not, whether we are genuinely Getting God, and as a result, will be drawn or alienated from God.

What will they see in you? Will they be drawn to God by your decisions?

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Getting God - Insights for Life’s Journey