Emotional Management
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. John 11:38
Greatly Disturbed – How well do I manage my emotions? Christian answers often contain a misunderstanding of the biblical view of emotional maturity. We see emotions from a Greek perspective. The Greek feared emotions because emotions seem to evade our rational control. We talk about falling in love or being overwhelmed with grief or trembling with fear. Our vocabulary suggests that emotions own us. So, as good Christian rationalists, we teach that we must conquer our emotions, keep them in check and restrain their impact on life. We endorse a world of reasoned control while we live in a world of pathos.
Our approach is something like this: “I think I keep them in check pretty well in dealing with leadership issues. It is important to do that. However, showing some emotion at the right time shows that you are human and have feelings about issues also.”
I wonder if we really looked at Jesus when we thought we had to “check” our emotions? How about the God of the Old Testament? Does He keep His emotions in check? Is the language of anger, grief, joy, sorrow, rejoicing and frustration only anthropomorphic? Or have we simply applied the Greek point of view to a God Who is far more emotional than our comfort zones allow.
Consider this description of Jesus. The Greek word is embrimaomai. It is used to describe the snorting of war horses before a battle. It is a word of violent anger. Do you feel the blast of heat in the breath? Can you smell the scent of battle? The rise in blood pressure? Jesus, standing before the tomb of Lazarus, is mad! He is ready to do battle. His emotions are in high gear. Get out of the way, Satan, the Lord of glory is about to snatch one back from your evil plans! This is just one small example of the Son consumed by emotional energy. There are many, many others – if we have the eyes to see them. Perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves why we are so afraid to confront the full force of emotions. Perhaps we are just a bit too Greek for our own good.
What would your life be like if you let your emotions become tools in God’s hand? Would you laugh more, cry more, shout more, rejoice more, despair more, sorrow more? Wouldn’t that be more like Jesus?
I just came out of a very ‘Greek’ sermon about emotions. Yes, let’s manage our emotions. Wow. That is a theme that is never ending and so terribly damaging. I kept thinking today Skip about you saying that in our culture, we would tell God he needs anger management counseling. The intention was good, but the message is so misguided. I think I could have stomached it if he had just said that emotions are good. ALL of them. It is just what we do with them. Let’s feel all our emotions. Please. I’m so glad I found this TW. It made me feel so much better. ?
Hi, Amy, I know the feeling! LOL
‘Emotional intelligence’ is a relatively new term on planet Earth, but it is a secular term that recognizes emotions as a very integral part of being human. Human as in what we were originally designed to be. Emotions were not invented or manufactured in hell (which, by the way, cannot invent or manufacture anything). Emotions are not even created by our flawed flesh. They are simply an expression of our deepest experience, and as such, are an honest reflection of who we are. We need that information! All of it!
Emotions are not sin, but what I choose to do with them certainly can be, and choosing to bury them will always be – a sin. When Yeshua called us to deny self and pick up our cross, I don’t think He was referring to our emotions, but I think that a Greek interpretation of that call could conclude that! How twisted is that? I think the teaching that emotion is evil comes straight out of gnosticism ( which I also think the church is filled with, and has been for a very long time). Paul said gnosticism was already giving him a headache. Perhaps the sermon you heard was being preached even then…