“Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy.” ~ Dean Koontz
There is nothing quite as tyrannical as unrestrained emotions––whether it be someone else’s or one’s own. The lack of being able to govern our internal world seems to be increasing as the mantra of the day can be summed up as “I’m offended.” When I hear “I’m offended,” I take that to mean “I do not know how to rule my emotions enough to bring something to the table that will foster resolve or reconciliation.” Don’t get me wrong, there are atrocities in this world that should offend our senses. But, in today’s culture, we wear offense as a badge of honor.
Then we have the other camp that seems to believe that being a mature, responsible adult includes suppressing all emotion. Understandably, this is in response to learning to rule over emotions. But, emotions are never truly suppressed, they are just redirected. If not processed correctly, there tends to be a dominant negative emotion that rules the others. Perpetual anger, fear, anxiety, or chronic health issues seem to be the bullies that like to keep healthy emotional responses at bay. (Please do not misunderstand me. I know there are many factors that come into play when dealing with chronic anxiety or health issues, but I also know from experience that trying to cope with trauma by strong-arming your way through it, doesn’t work. And often the trauma shows itself through our emotional or physical health.)
Certainly, in our Christian walk, faith requires that we be at rest in God’s care. That means that we seek to line up our thoughts, emotions, and actions according to the truth of God’s promises. We are to fight the good fight of faith. We do that by coming into agreement with God in both prayer and practice. But it doesn’t require that we become sub-human in the process. Jesus didn’t do that. He was fully God, yet fully man. Because of his humanity, he was able to have compassion on those who needed to be healed. He wept when his friend Lazarus died, even though Jesus knew that he would raise him from the dead. He also displayed anger toward the religious crowd who unknowingly opposed the ways of God and kept people from entering the Kingdom. And yet, the Bible clearly states that Jesus was without sin. Obviously, these must have been proper emotional responses in regard to the circumstances. In each instance, Jesus wasn’t ruled by unhealthy emotional responses tainted by sin, yet he didn’t suppress his feelings either. He simply experienced the human condition and was moved in response.
This takes us to Stephen Joseph’s fifth entry in his article 7 Qualities of Truly Authentic People. They:
Are able to express their emotions freely and clearly.
I have always been one that emotionally processes through my experiences. I have been on all spectrums of the emotional scale. In my younger life, my unhealthy emotions were like a cage in which I could not escape. When I came to Christ, I tried the stoic approach of crucifying my emotions as if they were something unholy and unwanted. But I found that every time Holy Spirit wanted to do a deep healing work within my soul, he would bust through my self-protective walls that tried to keep my emotions at bay. Instead, I would find healing tears streaming down my face. Tears that allowed the trauma a place of escape. Tears that always led to a peaceful place deep within.
Ultimately, that is what leads to true authenticity. It’s found in seeking genuine peace with God and allowing Father to freely work in the depths of our soul. The one who finds peace with God is on a journey to becoming like Jesus–that same Jesus who experienced compassion, sorrow, and anger over the things that moved the Father’s heart.
Maybe you need to evaluate where you are on the emotional scale. Are you one experiencing emotional terrorism from within? Or, do you find yourself shoving your emotional responses down to the point of becoming cold and uncaring? We tend to treat others the way we treat ourselves. If my emotions are tumultuous, I will end up spilling them out onto those around me. If I believe that emotions are to be suppressed, I will look with disdain upon any outward demonstration of what I do not allow within myself.
Father created us with emotions for a reason. They give our experiences significance and meaning. They also help us to love those around us properly if put into the right context. Like anything else, sin has marred our emotional life, but emotions are not to be villainized. They are to be redeemed. There may not have been a more expressive culture of people than the ancient Israelites. They danced in celebration and they wailed when it was time to mourn. They spilled their inner thoughts on the pages of the Psalms in passionate pursuit of God. The Old Testament is written both in story form and poetic prose.
Listen, there is nothing stoic about poets–and this is the culture that birthed Jesus. The great I Am who knew nothing but authenticity.
You may read of my own journey into emotional health in my book One Small Voice. It may be ordered on Amazon today.
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