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| Christians and Feelings |
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I wrote this as a comment to another blog, but I thought it deserved it's own discussion:
You'll know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
- Jesus
I believe living in the truth involves acknowledging my feelings, but not letting my feelings control me. I sometimes wonder if we believers live in a lie by ignoring negative feelings. Feelings are a thermometer for relationships: if I feel bad, someone has probably mistreated me, or I mistreated them. Either way, I need to respond: either I need to gently confront them, or I need to change my behavior. Christ said I should love others as I love myself. If I mistreat a friend, I would rather they confront me. I they mistreat me, I have to confront them, too. If I want them to change their behavior, I need to change my behavior, when appropriate, as well.
I think we allow Satan a big foothold by ignoring negative feelings. We can only ignore feelings for a little while before we start to resent the person who's mistreating us. Resentment is a sin by itself, since it’s a form of bitterness. I've noticed, as I deal with my feelings in a Godly manner, that He shows me deficiencies in my own character as well, so I'm able to live in the truth more.
King David was pretty good at acknowledging negative feelings, and dealing with them well. Psalm 13 shows him doing this, and it also shows him accepting God's providence. He can see the big picture past his feelings.
Psalm 13
1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me |
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jam137 |
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July 03, 2007 at 1:25pm |
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This reminds me of the verses 4:25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 4:26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 4:27 and give no opportunity to the devil. It's a mixed-up world that we live in, filled with both sin and grace, and we Christians are strange people in the sense of being both sinners and saints at the same time. Thank God that He already has given us the victory in Jesus and that one day we will fully experience it! I think that this "now"/"not yet" tension comes through in David's feelings in Psalm 13 as well as our own, including our feelings regarding personal relationships. Since we are going to one day live without sin and in perfect communion with our fellow believers, now is the time to deal with our feelings by speaking to one another in the manner that Ephesians talks about. 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3:3 And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. As it says in Proverbs 27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. |
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| I agree with you. God created us as emotional beings. It is with our emotions that we respond to him and receive from him. But we think that they are a crutch or we can't control them so we don't like them. But it is not a sin to be angry, we are instructed to not let our anger go unresolved or we become bitter and sin. I like the passage in Genesis 4 where God tells Cain, "If you do what is right will you not be accepted. However, if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you, but you must master it." Good topic! |
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So true! One of the reasons I love David is because he was so open and honest with his pain. And yet he always turned to God in hope of deliverance by the end of the Psalm. That's why I love the Psalms: they show me that this mighty man was a human being with pain, depression, and sadness, just like me. Yet he loved God with all his heart, was honest with the Lord about his pain, and trusted Him for strength and deliverance. Ignoring our pain and hurt won't make them go away. Acknowledging them and submitting them to God for healing and help will bring deliverance. Awesome post! |
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JessIAm |
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November 14, 2007 at 11:37am |
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Thanks Abby, Ignoring our pain and hurt won't make them go away. I think ignoring out pain and hurt will also lead us into sinful habits (Psalm 37:8). I think fretting comes about when I stuff my emotions away. Psalm 37:8 (Amplified)
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not yourself--it tends only to evildoing. |
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