In creating us, God equipped us with numerous senses to help us operate appropriately in every facet of life. These senses give us awareness of what is going on around us in the natural (tangible), the emotional (relational), as well as the possible (logic and reasoning). It is crucial we identify the importance of and place for applying each sense to use them as the superpower each is meant to be. When we apply the wrong sense for a situation, we often find ourselves in a dangerous position.
Let’s explore the senses God has gifted us:
For the natural – those tangible things happening around us in life – God has given us five major senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Each sense serves a different purpose. Yet, each one can bring us awareness, enjoyment, and pain. They can also partner with one another to create heightened awareness, as in the example of enjoying the flavor of food through a combination of taste and smell. Likewise, watching and listening to a person as he or she speaks can help us understand what this person is really trying to communicate.
For the emotional, God gives us a deeper awareness in our hearts, where we can perceive situations in a more sensitive, empathetic way. Sometimes this leads us towards compassion for others. For example, this might lead us to recognize something is wrong with a person without being told. Likewise, our emotions might cause us to burn with anger. It is important to recognize that, unchecked, our emotions can lead astray, creating more alarm than is necessary. This is why you might hear a Christian pray, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.”
Without the Lord touching and opening our hearts to see things clearly, to see things as He sees them, we may perceive a person’s words or actions in a wrong way, mistaking love for judgement, kind act for control or take a general statement personally. Without the Lord’s help in perceiving a situation, we might jump to offense. As we have seen throughout history and today still, emotions can be used for good or evil.
For the possible – where we utilize logic and reasoning to think of potential outcomes, both for the positive and the negative – God has given us brains, minds wired and ready to alert us of the possibilities and dangers present now and in the future. By keeping a portfolio of experiences, our brains tell our nervous systems when to run (“fight or flight”) or tell parts of our bodies to hurt so we give attention to that area for mending (pain). Strategic thinking is a gift that, when coupled with emotion, can lead to great success. However, logic and reasoning can be used for bad. For example, if a person possesses mental intelligence but does not pair it with emotional intelligence (from the heart), you might find a disconnected, egotistical person.
With so many senses available to awake or alert us, all of which can be used for good or for bad, it is critical we have a compass. We need a guide to daily, even momentarily, know which sense is appropriate for each specific situation. This helps us to understand where a person is coming from and to understand what threats are real, rather than perceived. It is important we are guided in truth because there is danger in applying the wrong sense for a situation. You do not want to be found in your head for a matter of the heart or found in your emotions for a matter of logic.
Have you ever tried to unpeel an eggshell just by sight? Though it seems like the obvious way to deshell an egg, it is a hot mess. Too quickly, the whole thing can fall apart. Yet, when using your sense of touch to feel the layers, your sense of touch employs your logic and reason (the possible). You then understand what layer is for peeling and what stays. The result is a fully intact egg.
Likewise, if you have ever tried to fish something out of a very small opening – out of the mouth of a bottle or a small drain – you quickly learn that your eyes cannot focus that keenly. If you only use your sight and do not have precision sight, good luck. It requires your sense of touch, partnered with perception (the possible), rather than sight. [Isn’t it strange how sometimes we have to even close our eyes to perceive or calm pain in our bodies?] Another simple example is using your sense of smell rather than your vision to detect a snake in your basement. You need to use your eyes as the nose of a human is not as keen as the sense of smell an animal.
The same is true of how we discern situations. If we use the wrong sense, we might make a mess of things. You don’t want to be found in your head for a matter of the heart or found in your emotions for a matter of logic.
For example, should your daughter come to you broken-hearted, it would not be helpful in that moment to logically explain to her that the boy who dumped her would have likely made a low salary and moved to another city. Using logic instead of heart in that moment would likely cause a breach between your daughter and you, rather than bringing her comfort which creates a bond.
In the same way, we should not be found using logic and reasoning – leaning on our own understanding – when the Lord is trying to speak to us about a matter of the heart. It is important we are found with our hearts available to Him. When the Lord speaks to us, He is usually warning us of something important that will save our lives – most importantly, spiritually, but also physically. Or, He is comforting us, reminding us of His love which alters how we enter a situation or relationship.
Ultimately, we need a mother board directing and guiding our senses so we can use them for good, where we are successful spiritually, relationally, mentally, and physically. This is where a supernatural (spiritual) sense becomes so key.
When we ask Jesus into our life, we are given the most powerful sense of all – a sensitivity to the supernatural (spiritual).
The Holy Spirit, who is God’s Spirit, is deposited in us to guide us until we are in heaven with Him directly. The greatest sense He has given us is His alive, active Spirit in us, who heightens our awareness and directs our attention the right direction at the right time. We are wise to receive and to leave margin in our lives to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. It might be as simple as sensing, “That is not wise,” as we begin to approach a situation in the wrong way, with the wrong sense.
On our own, without the help of the Lord, we draw conclusions based on limited information and take things wrong, severing opportunities, relationships, even harming our own health. Without Him, we are groping blindly, not knowing which sense to employ in an important, complex situation impacting many.
The Holy Spirit is fully aware of what is going on from every angle. He helps us to see, perceive, feel, and know things our infinite senses, minds, hearts, and eyes cannot perceive. The Lord wants to make this available to us to guide us. He beckons us to rely on Him, to come to Him for wisdom and help to be successful in every facet of life. He offers this, from His love, in order to bless and protect us, as well as those around us.
If you are not a Christian, I encourage you to ask Jesus to come into your life, to be the Lord of your life so that you receive His gift of the Holy Spirit living with you and in you, giving you this supernatural gift of guidance. [If you are interested in learning more, I recommend visiting GraceSTL.org/WhoIsJesus for a quick video and prayer!]
If you are a Christian, you might join me in asking the Lord to help you create margin in your life – quieting the noise from others, pressures, and media – to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly to protect you and those around you.
Prayer Help us, Lord! Help us to not get lost or betrayed by our senses but to employ them in the appropriate ways for good, for power. We need you to be a success in any area of our lives! Thank you for your willingness and your abundant love towards us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sarah Guldalian 