Instinct vs Intuition and How to Trust Your Gut

Understanding the difference between instinct vs intuition is a total game changer when learning how to trust your gut and intuitive wiring! Especially if you’ve spent most of your life ignoring or dismissing what you feel. Although instinct and intuition seem similar, they are very different, and this post will explain why. 

Instinct vs Intuition:

Instinct: is a pattern of behavior, response, impulse, or a form of information processing. It can also be a reaction without being based upon prior experience or knowledge. 

Intuition: is a feeling in your gut, a process of thought without rationality or logic, signs and sensations. It’s an ability to know something without reasoning or having any facts.

• What is instinct vs intuition?

• The 3 areas of maturity needed for pure intuition.

• How to trust that “gut” feeling.

• Trusting your intuition vs trusting emotions.

• How God is connected to what you sense, know and feel. 

What is Instinct vs Intuition

→ Instincts are something that both humans and various animals are born with. We’re born with instincts for survival. 

Self-preservation is an amazing gift that most living organisms have.

Even plants can sense things like light and water. However, without a brain, they only have reflexive responses. 

But for humans, we have three main survival instincts: 

Self-Preservation, Sexual and Social.

One thing is clear concerning instincts, our emotions play a huge role in our safety and wellness. Logic and reason alone aren’t enough, and having stable emotions plays a critical role.

→ Intuition is something that both humans and animals have as well. 

More intuitive people have learned to listen to their “gut feeling” rather than ignore it. 

Intentionally honoring or trusting something that goes beyond logic and reason. 

Your gut feelings don’t actually originate in the gut, but due to the gut-brain connection, you can even experience symptoms in your gastrointestinal tract.

Intuition doesn’t rely on analyzing facts or rationalizing decisions or information.

It simply can’t be explained any other way than a knowing, gut feeling, or sensation.

It goes beyond everything we would normally use to make decisions, assessments, or determine feelings toward a person or situation.

Instinct vs Intuition

The 3 Areas of Maturity Needed for Pure Intuition

1. Self-Confidence

2. Emotions

3. Discernment 

(1.) Building Confidence is so important when learning to trust your intuition and how God is connected to it. If you lack healthy boundaries and self-esteem, it’s easier to make unbalanced judgments about a person or situation, especially with yourself.

How many times have you possibly brushed off that gut feeling for fear of what someone else thinks about you?

Or…

Maybe you ignored that feeling because of having harsh judgments against yourself?

When trusting YOUR intuition, you must trust your ability above someone else’s opinion. Putting yourself in a place of authority takes confidence.

If this is you, forgive yourself for past mistakes and allow yourself to grow in your intuition and the abilities that God has given you.

(2.) Stable Emotions are imperative when trusting your gut. Remaining emotionally stable brings clarity and balance.

One way to differentiate between intuition and emotions is how stable is the emotion you’re feeling? Is what you’re feeling based on prior knowledge and pain causing an emotion you can’t control? Or is it an emotion that isn’t driving you but is in the “back seat” of your thoughts, helping you along the way?

(3.) The Ability to Discern in a Christian context is about perception, spiritual guidance, and understanding. Possessing the ability to judge a situation well is a valuable gift that can repel toxic relationships, bad decisions, and so much more.

Christian discernment is not the same as intuition, as it requires an ability to distinguish and process thought. It’s a practical and spiritual process with God.

When failing to make healthy judgments and discern, learning to trust your gut and intuition becomes clouded or confusing.

How to Trust That Gut Feeling

Learning to trust that hunch or “gut feeling” is finally being acknowledged in more Christian communities.

Growing in this ability is especially important for avoiding dangerous situations and toxic relationships. 

Imagine how many bad relationships or traumatic events may have been prevented if women were taught how to truly trust that inner voice with strong personal boundaries? 

Learning how to honor that feeling takes personal growth and practice. It’s a huge part of self-care that should be discussed more, especially in Christian circles.

Practicing intuition and trusting what you feel means it’s okay to get it wrong sometimes. If you don’t allow yourself to “get it wrong” and make mistakes, how will you ever learn and build the confidence needed in this area? 

Embrace imperfection, and you’ll grow in leaps and bounds of intuitive perception and trusting your gut.

Trusting Your Intuition vs Trusting Emotions

How do you know the difference between trusting your intuition vs listening to your emotions? 

Understand that all emotions are a gift. They have a necessary function, but without emotional stability, they can create a lot of chaos and heartache.

Emotions will come and go. Some may stick around longer than others. But when they function healthily, they should always pass through.

For example, if you hear or watch something that makes you laugh or cry, it doesn’t last for the rest of the week. That feeling or emotion processes, then it leaves. 

But intuition is a constant. That gut feeling about a person, place, or thing doesn’t subside. It’s something that almost feels anchored inside of you.

You can’t always trust your emotions if they aren’t balanced, but your intuition will never lead you in the wrong direction.

Instinct vs Intuition

How God is Connected to What You Feel

Although God operates beyond our physical senses, He is connected to our intuition and gut feeling more than we realize.

He uses our emotions to connect with us on an intimate, personal level. His spirit guides us into all truth. Proverbs talks about how the Lord gives us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

Growing in maturity, wisdom, and understanding is talked about all throughout scripture, and it pleases God the way it would please a good parent. 

He wants us to grow so we live a healthy, flourishing life. These things bring more clarity, and that helps align us with Him and His plans for our life.

God gave us the wonderful gift of intuition and emotions.

It’s our job to honor and steward them well.

Read: Intuition Test for the Out of the Box Christian Misfit

Read: Intuitive Christians