delight

Have you ever been confused about what the Bible tells us to do with our emotions?

Paul tells the church of Phillipi to rejoice always, in everything give thanks. Then in another letter to the Corinthians, he said he despaired of life and felt the weight and worry for the churches.

2 Cor 1:We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.

2 Cor 11:27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

Emotions in the Old Testament

We see many types of emotions expressed all through the Old Testament. Take a look at the psalms. There are more psalms about pain, sorrow, anger, and even rage than anything else. Many psalms call us to celebrate and praise, but more psalms reveal the heart of the psalmist that is broken and hurting.

So what is it?

Do we express our pain and hurt to God, or do we try to rejoice always?

I believe it’s both.

AND much more … it’s that we need both.

Why do we need both sorrow and joy?

We recognize that there is pain and loss in this world. Perhaps it’s a result of the choice of Adam and Eve in the garden to go their own way? We know that sin causes so much pain and sorrow.

  • But is there more than just enduring sorrow?
  • And … is there more to joy and elation?

Your turn

I will share my thoughts with you in the next post, but until then I encourage you to wrestle with these questions.

  • What can God do with sorrow?
  • What can God do with joy and elation?
  • Does my experience (from church teaching etc.) emphasize one more than the other?
  • What is the danger in emphasizing one more than the other?

I guarantee there are more than the obvious answers to these questions. Enjoy talking to God about these things and let me know.

Hearing God

If you are still nervous that you won’t hear God when you try to talk to Him, reach out to me. I have some good news to share on that.

Contact me privately or leave a comment below.