Q20: Do we need to feel bad for sin when we repent, or is knowing it is wrong enough? Feeling is healthy but not required — emotions are the caboose of the train

Mike says feeling bad is healthy and good — but not required for valid repentance. Repenting while not feeling bad is better than waiting to feel bad before repenting. For the girlfriend, Mike would counsel her to pray that God would soften her heart and reveal sin for what it is — God typically answers such prayers. The broader principle: emotions are the caboose of the train, not the engine. Faith makes the choice; emotions come around later. A mature Christian can obey, love, worship, and repent while their emotions fight against them — like Paul who was 'perplexed but not in despair.' Operating without needing emotions alongside tends, as a side benefit, to make emotions come alongside more consistently.