God has masterfully crafted us as beings that are comprised of a physical body and a spiritual nature. Within those two components are various additional aspects such as our mind, spirit/soul, and emotional state. In Hebrew thought, our very center of being in which everything (emotions, thoughts, behaviors, etc.) flows out from is our levav or lev (Heb. heart). It seems that when the Lord explains we are to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength, He connects our worship holistically (Deuteronomy 6:5). As part of our nature, God has given us the gift of feeling and expressing emotion to Him, others, and to ourselves. We see that God does not express Himself as a cold, marble statue that is unfeeling and robotic, but rather the Scriptures reveal His joy for us, His grief, His righteous anger, and His merciful compassion on us (Luke 15:10; Genesis 6:6; Romans 1:18; Matthew 9:36). As His image bearers, we too share in this ability, albeit not a perfect ability, to have and express emotion.
Before discussing the emotionally healthy person, it is helpful to begin with a working definition of what “emotional health” is. Considering the biblical context, emotional health could be defined like this: Emotional health is the capability to notice and understand your feelings, deal with them based on what’s happening around you, and manage them in a way that aligns with the teachings of Scripture. A truly emotional Psalm that I think provides some insight into what this could look like is Psalm 77. Asaph writes about a deep, personal struggle, in which he fought with difficult emotions and thoughts about God and himself. He begins his Psalm with cries of desperation and distress and identifies with feeling discomfort, hurt, and forgotten by God. Throughout the rest of the Psalm, Asaph showcases what an emotionally healthy Christian should reflect as we notice our feelings, actively engage in our struggle, and ultimately submit our emotions to a holy, supernatural, and Mighty God.
Now that we have a biblical starting point for being emotionally healthy, we must address what is considered “emotionally unhealthy.” Going back to our working definition of being emotionally healthy, emotionally unhealthy could be defined this way: Being unable to notice or understand one’s feelings, not dealing with difficult feelings or emotions, and allowing emotion or feelings to reign as “God.” There are plenty of Scriptures that are connected to unchecked emotions, lack of self-control, and choosing to submit to one’s desire over God (ex. James 1:20; Proverbs 25:28; 1 John 2:15-17). Contributing to emotional unhealthiness are two major factors: our sin blinds us to Truth and our heart is not a trustworthy guide (2 Peter 3:3; Jeremiah 17:9). In a modern culture that encourages us to “follow our hearts” and to let feelings reign supreme, we must submit all things to our Savior who teaches us how to feel, think, and respond (John 15:9-17; Romans 8:5, 12:1-2,9-21; Philippians 4:8-9).
Let’s consider things more practically as we all seek to be emotionally healthy in our worship and walk with the Lord. What are ways we can actively work towards being emotional healthy followers of Christ?
Pray for God’s wisdom to recognize and evaluate our emotions.
We can only do this with the Spirit’s help, and our Father is eager to hear from us! Notice that Scripture is riddled with people expressing their emotions to the Lord - the good, bad, and ugly! Trust me, He is big enough to handle it all, and He is ready to guide you.
Receive God’s grace on the bad days.
There will be days where our emotions are all over the place, whether it is warranted or not. Never forget that we are just “jars of clay” in desperate need of a perfect God’s grace. Acknowledge those difficult days and run to the merciful feet of our Lord Jesus.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Sometimes it’s too hard to unravel and organize our emotions and thoughts alone, so reach out to someone! Allow a godly mentor, a trusted friend, pastor/minister, or a Christian/biblical counselor to speak into your struggles and help bear the load.
Remember God’s presence and Truth when you are in the pit.
For some of us, our emotions are a consistent battlefield where a war rages on. Whether we have suffered trauma, abuse, addiction or another difficult struggle, there can be strong, negative emotions, with peaks and valleys, that we experience from that. Sweet friends, remember: “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” (Corrie ten Boom)
Resources:
Understanding Feelings Biblically (Podcast)
The Wisdom of Welcoming Emotions (Podcast)
Meet the Author!
Kaitlin loves Jesus and the Word with all her heart and soul. She is wife to Landon Niles and enjoys being part of the Niles Family Crew with Troy, Nolene, and Tate! She is currently attending Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for a Master of Theological Studies degree, with an emphasis in Biblical Counseling. She also serves in our CRBC Student Ministry and leads 6-9th grade girls. Apart from Jesus, she loves dogs, cooking, reading, and The Chosen!