You Would Change the World
Emotions. What should we do about emotions? God has designed us to have them, so they must not be inherently evil. He has emotions, too. He does not want us to be the Christian versions of Mr. Spock.
According to the American College Dictionary; emotion is an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced (distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness). I see emotion as the depth of life. The person that is truly alive to God and His Economy of Life will experience God in three planes; the practical, the intellectual and the emotional.
The practical plane consists of our every day actions, routines and decisions. The intellectual plane consists of our meditations and reasoning. And the emotional plane attaches vibrancy and meaning to the whole. When we feel things, we identify with Jesus Christ. When we have conflict and experience pain, we search our mental resources for wisdom and understanding. Then when we cry out to the Lord in anger or frustration or humility, He responds in the spirit of our hearts to our need. And in praise and song we may express the depth of our appreciation of His perfect love.
But others will not usually appreciate your emotions. And they surely will not be able to comprehend them, except in the unity of the spirit. That is why there is so much conflict between husband and wife. Women tend to interact with others from the emotional plane, while men usually interact from the intellectual plane. Remember we all have all three. But it takes a lifetime to learn to coordinate them. The way to fuse these planes is to talk to Him, pray in the spirit, study God’s Word and allow life to raise us up. We have the comforter to lead us to the truth. Check each circumstance against the Word of God and the wisdom he has taught you.
Having said all this, what do we do with our emotions? First, they are to motivate us to do what is right. And to help us prioritize past, present and future events; not to flail siblings in Christ. (I cannot stand a mushy, emotion filled, but spiritually empty sermon. These sermons are like clouds that hold no rain. They do not give living water to the thirsty soul.) Do do not think that what you ”feel” is truth until you have worked the issue with the Lord. Be very careful not to say or do what you will, until you have prayed and studied and meditated over it, but let your emotions motivate you.
Secondly, emotions are not good or bad, but the actions which follow them are. Most of our lingering problems in relationships are due to stubbornness and pride. But if you submit to the Lord reconciliation to others is simple, not easy, but simple. No matter what has been said or done, make sure that you reconcile with others.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts (enthumesis, emotions) and intents (ennoia, what is in the mind) of the heart. Hebrews 4:12