First posted to: https://surehopecounseling.com/emotions-in-scripture-gods-purposes-for-your-emotions/
How are you feeling? Have you ever been asked this question? Maybe you have even asked yourself – What am I feeling? Why am I feeling this way? Why did I react that way? These can be tough questions to answer because we don’t always have the ability to name what we are feeling, much less why. For many, emotions can feel like a mystery, as mysterious as the ocean—deep, shifting, and hard to fully map.
If we dig into the Word, we quickly discover that God expresses several different emotions! He expresses love (Jer. 31:3), joy (Nehemiah 8:10), anger (Deuteronomy 9:22), wrath (Psalm 7:11), jealousy (Exodus 20:5), sorrow and grief (Genesis 6:6), compassion and mercy (Judges 2:18), and delight (Psalm 147:11) just to name a few. The key here is that His emotions are always aligned with His Holy character, perfect and pure. Unlike our often-flawed human responses and mood swings (road rage sounding familiar anyone?), God’s emotions are demonstrations of His active, ongoing, personal involvement with His creation.
We see in scripture that we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and possess emotions as He does. So, what is the purpose of our emotions? J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith (2019), in their book Untangling Emotions suggest this fourfold purpose for human emotion: Emotions communicate value, help us to connect, motivate us, and most importantly turn us toward God. Let’s dive in to see what we can learn!
- Emotions communicate value. “God designed your emotions to be gauges, not guides. They’re meant to report to you, not dictate your next move. The pattern of your emotions will give you a reading on where your hope is because they are wired into what you believe and value—and how much” (D. Henderson, 2023). Groves and Smith suggest that emotions are “always expressing the things you love, value, and treasure” (2019, pg. 34). Simply put, what we care about shapes what we feel.
- Emotions help us to connect. Our emotions express what is important to us and offer others a glimpse into who we are and what we value. When we share our thoughts and feelings with significant others, they are invited to enter into that experience with us and respond from their own hearts. This deeper sharing often strengthens our relationships (Groves and Smith, 2019). In addition to sharing our own emotions, we also allow ourselves to be emotionally moved by the experiences of others. If they feel joy, we feel joy. If they feel sadness, we experience their sadness. Romans 12:15 says to “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (NLT). An important tip: We are better able to empathize with others without losing ourselves if we are anchored in Jesus. The steadfast connection I experience in Him allows me to open myself up to feeling with others.
- Emotions motivate us. Whether it is anger spurring us to attack a problem, fear prompting us to use caution or even escape, sadness encouraging us to withdraw and seek comfort or help, or joy motivating creativity, exploration, and openness to new experiences, our emotions are constantly capturing our attention, highlighting what we deem important, and calling us to action.
- Our emotions turn us toward God. Groves and Smith (2019) suggest that this key purpose shapes the prior three. ”Every point on our whole spectrum of emotions was designed to send us sprinting to our Father with words like ‘thank you,’ ‘help me,’ ‘you’re amazing,’ or ‘Oh no!’ No feeling is beyond redemption. Every feeling that turns toward God actually becomes part of our worship” (p. 40). “Emotion is a gift from God to help us relate to Him and one another. Our feelings are important to our journey of faith” (D. Henderson, 2023). God designed our emotions to connect us to others, and more importantly to connect us to Himself. How do we take our emotions to God? It’s as simple as talking to Him, turning to Him with emotions as they arise, and pouring out our hearts to God through sincere conversation. “To engage your emotions in any other way than by bringing them to Him goes against the very grain of your human, image-bearing nature” (Groves & Smith, 2019, p. 103).
When we struggle with our emotions, the goal is not to change them. Depending on how we were raised, it may feel easier to escape uncomfortable feelings altogether, or—when emotions become overwhelming—to attempt to control them. But what if our true goal is to grow closer to Him? Then the answer isn’t to change, escape, or control our emotions, but to bring them with us as we RUN into the arms of our loving Father. True joy comes from obeying God’s commandments and remaining in His love (John 15:10–11). As we remain in Him, we can learn to value what He values and love what He loves. This then motivates us to Godly action and carrying out His purposes in our fallen world. To see those in need and respond through service. To be filled with compassion for the lost or hurting, and to bring them to the one who can heal those hurts. To not only feel anger at injustice and deceit, but also to move into action with the truth of the gospel.
Let every day invite you to pause, bring your emotions before God, and grow deeper in your walk with Him.
-Mickey Jensen – learn more about working with Mickey here!
Enjoy the Gift of Biblical Emotion. (2023). Strategic Renewal. https://www.strategicrenewal.com/enjoy-the-gift-of-biblical-emotion/
Groves, J. A., & Smith, W. T. (2019). Untangling emotions (1st ed.). Crossway.
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