Episode Summary:

We live in a culture that disciples us daily with the advice to "follow your heart" and "live your truth." But for a leader carrying real responsibility, this advice is dangerous. If you only did what you felt like doing, your inbox, your marriage, and your walk with God would likely be a dumpster fire.

In this episode, Jim challenges the cultural mantra of "follow your heart" and breaks down why your emotions are meant to be gauges, not guides. Jim dives into the theology of the heart, the psychology of self-sabotage, and the perfect model of emotional health Jesus displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. If you are tired of being jerked around by your moods or feel paralyzed by anxiety and "imposter syndrome," this episode offers a way out. Learn how to validate your feelings without letting them take the steering wheel, and master the simple 3-step "Fact-Check Method" to lead from truth, not trauma.

Key Takeaways:

• Gauges vs. Guides: Think of your emotions like the dashboard of a car. The check engine light (your feelings) gives you important information about your state, but you would never let the check engine light drive the car.
• The "Dumpster Fire" Reality: When we "follow our heart," we are often following our wounds, our fears, and our exhaustion. Leading by feelings makes you volatile; leading by facts makes you unshakable.
• The Gethsemane Model: Jesus showed us perfect emotional health. He didn't deny His agony ("My soul is sorrowful"), but He didn't obey it either ("Yet not as I will"). He felt the feeling but acted on the fact.
• Name It to Tame It: You cannot change what you will not name. Bringing your fear or shame into the light breaks its power and invites God into the process.
• The Fact-Check Method: A practical tool to stop self-sabotage in its tracks: Name the Feeling, Audit the Facts (using evidence and Scripture), and Speak the Truth.

Favorite Quotes:

• "Your feelings are real, but they are not always true."
• "If you only did what you felt like doing this week... your whole life would be a dumpster fire."
• "Your feelings tell you the weather. The Word of God tells you the climate."
• "When you lead by feelings, you become volatile. When you lead by facts, you become unshakable."
• "Jesus feels the feeling, but He acts on the fact."
• "You cannot change what you will not name."

Scripture References:

• Jeremiah 17:9 (The heart is deceitful above all things... who can understand it?)
• Matthew 26:38-39 (Jesus in Gethsemane: My soul is sorrowful... yet not as I will, but as You will.)
• Proverbs 24:16 (Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.)
• Ephesians 2:10 (You are God's masterpiece, created for a purpose.)
• 1 John 1:5 (God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.)

Action Steps & Reflection Questions:

• The Fact-Check Method: Next time you feel overwhelmed, stop and follow these three steps: 1. Name the Feeling (e.g., "I feel like a failure"). 2. Audit the Facts (Look at your "Wins Log" and God's Word). 3. Speak the Truth ("I feel afraid, but the fact is I am called and obedient").
• The Dashboard Check: Ask yourself right now: What is your dashboard telling you? Are you tired, lonely, or afraid? Acknowledge the signal, but remind yourself that it is not the driver.
• The "Wins Log": If you haven't started one yet, take 5 minutes today to write down evidence of God's faithfulness from the last week to counter the lies your feelings are telling you.

Resources:

• Join the Newsletter: www.leadwithjim.com/nl
• Full Episode Show Notes & Transcript: www.leadwithjim.com/podcast

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