Ecclesiastes 3:4, English Standard Version

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance”

With what is going on in the world today and the pressures that these events bring there is one thing that is certain…. We as humans are experiencing a variety of emotions. Some, and maybe the majority, may be feeling a lot of negative emotions. There are many who have lost work, lost loved ones, maybe sick themselves, maybe struggling with how to feed their family. There are many who may be struggling with depression and sadness as they are required to be isolated during this time. Others may be very afraid of germs and are struggling with fear.

Because of the intense emotions that these times are bringing out in people there are two basic questions that I want to take a look at from the perspective of the Word of God today. Why has God given us emotions and how are we to handle our emotions? First, we must remember that God created mankind in His own image and likeness. What does being created in the image of God have to do with emotions? God Himself is an emotional being and experiences emotions! The emotions of God are deep and sincere, and we see them expressed all throughout scripture. God’s desire is that we will love the way that He loves, and that we would have compassion in the way that He has compassion. He desires that we will experience His creation with the fullness of emotions with which He experiences it. This is why the Lord has given us the gift of emotions.

When we experience emotion, whether good or bad, we must first take a moment to determine what that emotion is driving us to do. Is the action something that aligns with the character of Christ? Or is it something that is opposed to Him? Either way, we must then take that emotion to the Lord. Express how you are feeling to Him and ask Him to help you understand how you should proceed. Second, God has given us our brothers and sisters in Christ. This may be your spouse, your parents, your siblings, your friends, your pastor, your Bible Study group. God has placed people around us who love and care for us and we should seek those people and share with them as well. When we never share and continue to bottle the emotions that God has blessed us with, we will eventually explode from pressure.

God has given us emotions because He made us to be like Him. They are a great gift that brings life and joy. God has given us instructions and guidance on how to handle them. We should share our feelings with Him and with others. We should seek the Lord in how to handle our emotions and follow what He instructs us to do.