What Do I Do With My Emotions?

Be angry and do not sin… - Ephesians 4:26

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time trying to figure out how much I’m supposed to pay attention to my emotions, especially as a Christian.

We are told that the heart is wicked and that we shouldn’t be deceived by our feelings. We are told to cling to the truth rather than what feels true in the moment. And I wholeheartedly believe these are both true statements.

At the same time, when you read about Jesus in the Bible, He was clearly a very emotional being. There are many accounts in Scripture of Jesus showing emotions – joy, sadness, anger, frustration, and the list keeps going. So, if we’re supposed to be like Jesus, then it seems fair to say that emotions aren’t necessarily a bad thing. 

But where does that leave us? What are we supposed to do with our emotions? And how do we honor God as emotional beings?

As big and heavy as those questions seem, the answer isn’t actually that complicated.

We need to treat our emotions like a check engine light, not a GPS.

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I love a good analogy. And if you’re new to these devotions, welcome. I’m Kristen, and analogies are one of my favorite writing tools ever.

Anyway, I digress. Like I said, our emotions should be a check engine light, not a GPS. To put it simply, that means our emotions have a way of alerting us that something is going on inside of us, but they are not what we should be looking to for guidance and direction.

Let’s break this down practically. If I’m feeling angry, treating that emotion like a check engine light would mean I do some self-reflection once I recognize the anger. I ask myself, “Why am I feeling angry? What’s going on in my mind and my heart right now? What just happened to elicit a knee-jerk response of anger?” I notice the emotion. I examine it. And I take it as a sign that something within me needs some attention and possibly some help.

However, if I treat this anger like a GPS, then I’ll start to follow it. I might lash out at someone I love. I might become bitter and resentful. I might start to assume the worst of people. I might begin to shut down and distance myself from any chance of receiving help and guidance from a wise counselor. To be blunt, I’d do the exact opposite of what today’s key verse says to do: I would be angry, and then I would sin.

I truly believe God intentionally created us with emotions. We aren’t robots. We have feelings. And those feelings and emotions are to be paid attention to, but only as an indicator, not a road map.

In light of this, we can be so grateful for the Holy Spirit because regardless of how we’re feeling, He is always there, ready to guide us and give us wisdom and discernment to know how to press forward.

Whether we’re feeling angry, sad, frustrated, fearful, worried, confused, or hurt, we can always talk to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal to us what’s going on in our hearts and give us wise next steps so that we can continue to become more and more like Christ.

As you’re reading this, if you’re realizing that you’ve been treating your emotions more like a GPS than a check engine light, you’re not alone. This is something I’d venture to say most people struggle with.

But because we have victory in Christ, we don’t have to stay stuck in that struggle. We can learn how to look at our emotions as an indicator of what’s going on within us, and as we do, we can pursue wisdom, clarity, and discernment from the Holy Spirit.

So, what are you feeling right now, friend? What emotions are you experiencing? And how can you pay attention to those emotions in order to know what’s going on in your heart without following them down a potentially destructive or dangerous path?

Emotions aren’t a bad thing. But remember, they’re not the thing worth following.