“Just go with your gut.”
Has anyone ever told you this when you’ve felt anxious or unsure of what to do? I don’t know about you, but for me, hearing this has never helped decrease my anxiety. I do believe that God has gifted us with intuition. Unfortunately, anxiety can hijack my intuition, and I often have trouble trusting my gut. Sometimes, I’m able to come to a conclusion about what I should do next that I feel confident in. But a lot of times, being told to “go with my gut” just brings on a new set of worries. I’m plagued with “what ifs” – what if what I think is my gut isn’t really my gut? What if I’m not hearing my gut correctly? What if my decision hurts someone? What if this isn’t what God wants me to do? What if I’m wrong? Being told to “go with my gut” can cause me more anxiety and be less helpful than just having someone validate that not knowing what to do is hard.
In my own relationship with anxiety, I’m trying to make peace with being uncertain. Because even if I do what I really believe my gut or intuition is telling me, I am a flawed human being so there is always the chance that my instinct is wrong. And going with my gut or intuition does not guarantee that I won’t experience pain or suffering or consequences. That’s why I like thinking about making decisions in line with my values more than thinking about decisions in line with a gut feeling—even when we get clear gut feelings, there is still always the possibility we could be wrong. If I know that I’m acting in line with my core values, it will still be hard (and potentially painful) if I’m wrong or let others down or things don’t go the way I hope, but I can rest knowing that I made decisions with the information I had available with what I value in mind.
And oh the peace that comes with the certainty of knowing that God is bigger than my gut! That mistakes I make can’t thwart His plan. This isn’t to say I should just throw caution to the wind and do whatever, saying, “God’s got it!” No, it’s choosing to live in line with the values He’s placed in my heart, and that He gives us in His Word, and resting in the truth of His grace, love, and power.
The next time you find yourself feeling anxious about a decision or noticing doubt even if you have a strong gut feeling, consider your values instead. These questions can help:
- What do I want to stand for in this moment?
- How do I want to act in this moment and/or as I make this decision?
- What does my worry, anxiety, or fear show me that I care about?
