Faith & Emotions (Part 3)

The Bible does command us to have some emotional responses. The Bible tells us to delight in the Lord. The Bible tells us to rejoice and to give thanks. The Bible commands us to love others, which involves action and emotion. My friend, Greg, spoke last Sunday about the Good Samaritan. He pointed out that the two religious people passed by having convinced themselves through some kind of reasoning not to get involved. However, the Samaritan “had pity on him.” That is an emotional phrase not just logical reasoning. Jesus often had compassion on the crowd.

Let’s look at some other emotions the Bible commands us to feel. We are to hate evil. Something we are not very good at doing rationally or emotionally. We are to hope for an eternal future. These are not just rational words but words that involve an emotional response.

I do not want to put down anyone who has taught that the Bible doesn’t command us to feel any certain way because as I said I was one of them. There is some truth to that idea because the Bible doesn’t tell us how to feel without telling us what truth to believe. God gives us the context in which to feel these emotions.

For those who are in Christ:

• God tells us to feel hope because our eternal destiny is assured.
• God tells us to take joy in trials because he knows the spiritual growth that will result. (Don’t think rational joy like I guess some good will come out of this, think real joy, emotional joy that puts this teaching on a whole new level.)
• God tells us to love because he first loved us and he will love others through us.
• God tells us to hate evil because it is out to destroy and devour us.
• God tells us to be thankful because our sins have been forgiven and we have been blessed beyond measure.
• God tells us to feel confident in Him because he will supply all our needs.
• God tells us not to worry because he is for us and it doesn’t matter who is against us.

Sometimes I lack faith and don’t believe what God says and then my emotions are out of whack. In that case I shouldn’t ignore my emotions I should ask, “Why am I feeling this way?” I need to listen to my emotions to find the lie I am believing.

I once counseled a woman who at 64 years of age had not forgiven herself for having an abortion more than 40 years earlier. In the years following she had 12 children as a kind of penance. As a Christian she knew about 1 John 1:9 but emotionally she could not accept the forgiveness of sin for herself. She was not only listening to her emotions but also letting them control the truth she believed. God’s Word is true regardless of what we believe or how we feel. The truth of God’s Word needs to set us free and that includes our emotions.

There is a difference between being controlled by our emotions and listening to our emotions. If we listen to our emotions can teach us many things about our faith and about our walk with God.