Hey Carla,

Thanks for your comments on logic and emotion.

In response, I think the best way to model how I view emotion and logic is to use a ship:

• Emotion is the fuel,
• Logic is the rudder.

If we try to use logic to propel us, we won't move very fast. If we use emotion to guide us, we'll spend our lives turning in circles.

It's really important for people to understand the difference between these two in their lives, and to understand what role they play. It's like knowing the difference between a wrench and a hammer. We need to use the right tool for the right job.

It's also important to know that evil generally attempts to provoke us via emotion because our emotion is undiscerning (makes a bad rudder). Our spirit, on the other hand--properly trained--is discerning.

It's also important to talk about this thing called intuition and instinct.

Instinct is easy to model. If you know computers, it's perfectly analogous to the BIOS. It is the information that is put into you automatically that allows you to function without using intellect to perform basic functions, for example, when we're very young, it enables nursing.

Intuition really speaks of that ability to listen on a spiritual level. Yahweh says that he will be a voice telling us whether to turn to the right or turn to the left. For some, this may be a real mental voice. For others, it manifests as a feeling--actually a result of hearing the voice spiritually but not being able to actually hear the mental "sound" of it. The result is a feeling telling us that we "feel" good about this person, for example, or "bad" about another with no logical input. It's much like subconscious advertising that, perhaps, makes you thirsty.

Because most people do not actually hear the mental "sound" of the voice, what's left to go on is the feeling that results, and therefore, people confuse this wonderful spiritual function (intuition) with a soul-based function (emotion) without regard to it's origin, and for this reason, there is great confusion between peoples discernment of the spirit and the soul.

The cool thing is that we can work within ourselves to become better at discerning the origin of information--whether it originates from the spirit or the soul. When you do this, you will be much less prone to errors in decisions you make when asking God for guidance, and you will be less disappointed in cases when you're listening to your own soul, thinking it was intuition and then getting mad as God for giving you bad advice or not answering. It's so very important for us to learn to discern the difference between self-induced emotions and intuitions.

The Bible speaks specifically of this when it talks about prophets that speak from their own soul and/or presumptuously rather then from God.

And while I'm on the subject, I've discovered that woman tend to be better at intuition then men. I've also discovered that men tend to be better at logic then women (these are just tendencys that I've observed, not absolutes by any means). I believe this is part of the reason we make such a great team.

This is a very condensed explaination of what I have modeled regarding logic and emotion and hopefully someone will benefit from it. Perhaps it will help dispel confusion in someones life.

On a side note: What an awesome and intelligent group of people we have on this forum.

All the best.