Of course the Word and all you mention are important and we ignore them at our peril

But I was brought up not to trust my feelings, nor myself - and it is a liberation to be told “trust yourself” When I intuitively know something - then I trust it. I check it for obvious flaws against what my mind knows, but then I go with it. And that’s precisely when I discover the surprising insght, the fresh meeting with God - and also I find I know how to respond to those coming to me for help in ways that surprise me as well as them

I have read the whole Bible many times, I pray, I hang around with God’s people, I try to take opportunities to do the good that falls to me, like all christians - so what comes out of my feelings and intuition is more likely to be right than wrong. So I can trust myself.

I hope that’s helpful - it radically changed my life

The answer to your question is… (drumroll)…. His Word and sacraments. Bible, preaching, baptism and Holy Communion. Things of God from outside of ourselves.

I think it would always do us well to remember that in our relationship to God that WE are the problem.

I do agree with your statement that we shouldn’t necessarily label them all (our feelings) as phoney. But (and it’s a big but), we should never trust in them. Our feelings can’t be trusted because the devil can come to us as an angel of light and that includes getting into or affecting our feelings. Gord (above in comments) did a fine job of explaining it.

Thanks!

- Steve

…as the (ficticious) spiritual director jon darrow says, we must hold with grace the ‘Glamourous Powers’, for they are so subtlely and easily purloined by the Devil and can become the phenomena of mere parlour-tricks

i think the point is well-taken for us…and turns me again and again to discernment…

merci david