Many years ago, I had the privilege of being trained by Dr. Bill  Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. As part of the training, we were given a cartoon-like diagram of a three-car train (Engine, Coal Car, and Caboose) and asked to assign one of three words—Feelings, Faith, or Facts—to each car, based on where we thought it fit best.

I’ve used this exercise hundreds of times over the years while counselling, mentoring, or coaching people facing life’s challenges. When I ask which word is leading the train of their lives, one response stands out as the most common. Sadly, it’s not the one that should be leading.

Facts, Faith, and Feelings: What Leads the Train?

The overly spiritual or pseudo-spiritual will often choose “Faith” as the Engine, assuming it to be the expected answer. But even that isn’t correct. The sad reality is that most people allow “Feelings”—the Caboose of the train—to take the lead, letting their emotions dictate their actions and decisions.

Faith belongs in the Coal Car, where it supports and fuels the train, but only Facts should serve as the Engine that guides your life. We are meant to place our faith in foundational facts, not fickle feelings. Ben Shapiro captures this principle well with a sticker on his laptop that reads, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

A Society Misguided by Feelings

So why is it that supposedly intelligent leaders propose inane legislation, such as Canada’s Bill C-63, which prioritizes feelings as the primary determinant of how we live and speak? Why are we being forced to place our faith in feelings rather than facts?

I’d argue this is a calculated control tactic of the wickedly perverse—designed to placate the masses while stripping them of their autonomy and dignity. First, unfounded fear is instilled through baseless statements. Then, equally groundless solutions are proposed to pacify the ignorant, leaving people powerless. Individuals, designed to be co-stewards under God, are reduced to mere pawns under tyrannical leadership.

When Fear Replaces Truth

I once spoke with a doctor about why he doesn’t tell overweight or obese patients about the risks of their condition. His response? “Because they might be offended, and I could lose my license.” The truth about their health—essential for improving their lives—is buried under a veneer of pharmaceutical placebos and avoidance.

Similarly, meaningless phrases like “climate change” and “trust the science” are often used without explanation or understanding, leaving people confused rather than informed. Can we truly trust experts to give us the unvarnished truth, or must we learn to uncover it ourselves?

Facing the Facts

This reminds me of an experience my wife and I had while driving home during a blizzard. When a main highway was closed, we took a back road that eventually reconnected to the highway. Wanting to confirm that we had passed the trouble spot, I turned to my digital assistant and asked, “Hey Siri, how’s the weather on the highway?” Her response? “Roll down the window and look.”

That unexpected, hilarious answer was profoundly simple. The facts were right in front of me—I just needed to check for myself. Nothing beats the plain truth. If you don’t know the facts, learn them. Take back control of your life. Fact-check the professed experts. Good leaders, who act in the best interest of people, aren’t offended when questioned.

A Biblical Example of Fact-Checking

The Bible offers a valuable illustration of this principle in Acts 17:11. The Apostle Paul shared the good news with the Bereans, who didn’t just take his word for it. Instead, they fact-checked him:

“Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.”

Lead Your Life with Facts

Ultimately, the question comes down to this: who or what is leading the train of your life? While many opinions abound, the truth is clear—nothing beats the facts. Place your faith in what is real, not in the ever-shifting tide of feelings or the voices of so-called experts. Anchor your decisions in truth, and you’ll find the clarity and confidence to move forward.