The Surprising Importance of Emotions in Our Faith
I still chuckle when I think about the time a pastor presented me with a mockup of my book, cleverly titled “Tickling and Truth, Cultivating Giddy Emotions in a Men’s Retreat Setting.” It was a lighthearted jab, but it got me thinking – are feelings really taken seriously in our faith journeys?
The Tendency to Downplay Emotions
We’ve all heard it said, “Faith, not feelings, is what matters to God.” It’s a sentiment that stems from our experiences with emotions leading us astray. After all, our feelings can be the breeding ground for some pretty ugly sins. So, we often try to minimize or dismiss them, thinking that’s progress. But is that really what the Bible teaches?
The Reality of Emotions in Our Lives
The truth is, virtually everything we do is emotional. As Matthew Elliott so aptly puts it, “Everything we do, say, and think, is, in some sense, emotional.” We describe our experiences and ourselves by describing how we feel. Life without emotions would be dull and colorless.
God’s Design for Our Emotions
God created us with emotions, and I believe they’re an integral part of the image of God in us. We can’t rid ourselves of our emotions any more than we can rid ourselves of thinking or choosing. Even Jesus, as perfect humanity, experienced emotions. The gospels are filled with examples of His emotional responses.
The Challenge of Fallen Emotions
Of course, our fallen natures have corrupted our emotions, leading to problems. But instead of sidelining them, we need to learn what the Scriptures teach us about our emotions. We need to recognize that God desires us to grow in the realm of our emotions, just as He desires us to grow in our will and mind.
A Balanced Approach
As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones so eloquently put it, “The feelings, the emotions, the sensibilities obviously are of very vital importance.” We’ve been made to experience emotions, and they play a dominant part in our makeup. The key is learning to handle them rightly.
A Practical Theology of Emotions
The Bible offers hope that we can learn to control our emotions through the Holy Spirit, overcome toxic emotions, and cultivate godly ones. As whole persons, we must grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, including our emotions. We don’t just live by faith; our feelings matter too. What matters to God is both our faith and feelings.
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