Can You Trust Your Gut Feelings?
The Problem
I’m very much aware that there are many different denominations and traditions within the Christian church. This gives room for many different experiences for people to have within Christianity. Furthermore, I’m also very much aware of my limited perspective. The five churches I’ve attended over the twenty-three years of being a Christian have all identified themselves as churches with a Reformed perspective towards soteriology. I offer a limited perspective, yet I believe it to be truthful.
Here’s a general observation I’ve made concerning churches in the reformed tradition:
Many Christians have been taught to distrust their gut instincts.
For the sake of clarity, I’ll be using the words “gut instincts”, “intuition”, and “discernment” interchangeably throughout this article.
How is this accomplished? The formula for getting someone to turn off their intuition is something like this:
Over-Emphasis on the Doctrine of Total Depravity
+
Misinterpretation of Bible Verses
=
Not Trusting Yourself
A simple formula that needs some unpacking, I suspect.
Total Depravity Over-Emphasized
When it comes to the doctrine of man, in some reformed churches there is an over-emphasis on the doctrine called Total Depravity. Total Depravity (which can go by other names) essentially teaches that due to the first sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, human nature is thoroughly corrupt and sinful. By the way, I believe this doctrine to be true but misapplied in its over-emphasis. I say it’s an over-emphasis because in some reformed churches (I’m still speaking broadly) it’s been my observation that Christians can ignore any good that humans are capable of as ones reflecting the image of God.
All people are created in the image and likeness of God, which is summed up by the Latin phrase Imago Dei. Due to sin, all people are depraved but are still able to reflect the image of God in their personhood, albeit imperfectly.
Therefore, over-emphasizing Total Depravity can result in a person viewing himself/herself as only being capable of flawed and sin-laden thoughts, affections, and actions. Slap a catchy Reformed sticker on your T-Shirt that reads, “Anything less than Hell is mercy” and get ready for a life of self-doubt, self-hatred, and numbness to abuse.
Misinterpretation of Jeremiah 17:9
The second part of the formula to cause a Christian to stop using discernment is to misinterpret key passages in the Bible in such a way that it will reinforce the over-emphasis of Total Depravity/the distrust of one’s opinions/thoughts/feelings.
Take Jeremiah 17:9 for example, which states:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
How this verse has been taught in my limited church experience is that a person cannot, and therefore, must not, look inwardly for guidance… Intuition is a fictional word according to such teaching since humans are incapable of knowing any truth from one’s heart.[1]
I do not believe this is an accurate interpretation of this verse since it ignores the literary context and does not deal with the multiple passages which seem to be advocating for intuitive decision-making.
The Literary Context
To better understand verse 9, we want to understand the verses before and after verse 9.
In verses 5–6, Jeremiah considers those who trust (with their heart) in man.
In verses 7–8, Jeremiah considers those who trust (with their heart) in God.
Some trust man, others trust God. What causes some to put their trust in one and not the other? Answer: Verse 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, yet (according to verse 10) God understands the heart and searches it.[2]
At this point, it might be helpful to define terms. The definition of the word “heart” is wide and varied with at least thirteen nuanced definitions. It doesn’t mean in Jeremiah 17:9 emotions and passions, but rather the word “heart” in this verse has to do with where one places his/her trust for salvation. In men or God? That is the point of verses 5–10.
Verse 9 is not about man’s incapability to acquire knowledge through discernment. One’s intuition is not deceitful above all things. It is the faculty of the inner man which seeks out refuge and salvation which is deceitful above all things. The passage in Jeremiah 17:5–10 shapes the intended meaning of verse 9.
If we were to zoom out from Jeremiah and look at the rest of the Bible, we will find that Scripture commends the use of one’s intuition/discernment/gut feelings in the decision-making process.
A New Heart
Ironically, Jeremiah himself prophesied about God giving his people a new heart by writing his law within them.[3] Jeremiah 17:9 was written with a specific intended meaning (as discussed above) but that is not all Jeremiah has to say about humanity’s heart! God will give his people a new heart, one that knows him and his ways.
Well… How can one know God from their heart if the heart is deceitful above all things? The answer is that God reveals himself to his people in their hearts. He changes people from within. Therefore, Jeremiah 17:9 is not a permanent principle condemning humanity’s intuition.
Other Passages
Furthermore, consider the following passages in which a Christian is instructed to utilize discernment/their gut feelings:
· Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
· 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
· Ephesians 5:10, “And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
· Philippians 1:10, “So that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ”
· 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “But test everything; hold fast to what is good.”
· 1 John 4:1, “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God”
Christians would not be able to apply the above passages if they weren’t allowed to discern and use intuition as each has been equipped with. Consequently, such warnings would be ignored without gut gut-feelings, such as:
· 1 Corinthians 11:28, “Let a person examine himself”
· 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
Jeremiah 17:9 should not be understood as Christians not allowed to “search their hearts” or to “be in tuned with their gut feelings”.
= Not Trusting Yourself
Remember the formula to get someone to turn off their discernment”? Here’s a friendly reminder, “Over-Emphasis of the Doctrine Total Depravity + Misinterpretation of Bible Verses” equals not trusting yourself.
Christian, as one with a new heart and indwelt by the Spirit of God, you have gut feelings/intuition/discernment… USE IT! There are millions of decisions you make every day that the Bible never explicitly and objectively addresses. And the Bible doesn’t need to since God has given you His Spirit and decision-making skills.
When making choices, don’t only choose what is the most “noble” choice while ignoring what you desire. That desire of yours might have been put there by God and should be considered with discernment.
Christians (specifically women) let’s fight against being gaslit… If it feels wrong, it probably is. Learn to trust that little voice inside of you. You’re often far more accurate than you might be aware of. You’re not merely an emotional person without a brain who lacks intuition but are a creation of God’s and are made with his likeness and image, capable of rational and intuitive decision making. Total Depravity does not ultimately define your essence since you have the redeeming and sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling inside of you!
Life isn’t made up of only objective absolutes. Subjectivity is very much part of life, too, which calls for discernment. You have gut instincts for a reason… listen to them.
[1] Such teaching cultivates a church atmosphere primed for abuse. Ironically, the person telling you that you can’t trust yourself because you’re too sinful must also (by extended logic) be too sinful and open to deception to even be able to give counsel. The irony is this is a classic case of the blind leading the blind.
[2] This is similar to Hebrews 4:12 in that the word of God searches the deep places of man to show where unbelief in God exists so it can be surgically removed by the scalpel of the word of God, in the hands of the Spirit.
[3] Jeremiah 31:31–33
