Eternity-Centered Emotions

As humans, we have the capacity to feel things deeply. As our circumstances constantly change, our emotions often change along with them. That’s why so many have used the image of a roller coaster ride to define their journeys and experiences. Sometimes those emotions can become so overwhelming, so strong, so tiring – and even so destructive – that we can reach the point of not wanting to feel anymore at all. At this point, we might describe our situation as being, ironically, another feeling – burnt out.

However, it’s important to remember that God created us to have emotions. They are not inherently bad or meant to destroy us! But just like with everything else He has given to us, we must decide how to use them.

Emotions can be used in positive or negative ways. Compassion can lead us to help someone in need, apathy to ignore them. Anger could lead to helpful solutions against injustice, or it could lead to unrestrained violence. Sadness can lead us to give up or lead us to something – Someone – bigger than ourselves to give us joy.

As we learn from the very first verses of the Bible, one of the things that makes humans unique is that we have a choice. We can choose to obey God and find life, or we can choose to obey self and find struggle, and eventually death. If we choose to obey self, we put our confidence in something that is fallible, capable of being corrupted, confined by time and defined by fickle standards, and is ultimately untrustworthy.

If we choose to obey God, however, we are trusting in the One who stands outside of time and earthly circumstances, the One who never changes, and the One who can be completely trusted in all things. The One who alone is good.

When it comes to our emotions, we can choose to take control of them ourselves, or we can choose to put them under God’s control. Choosing the latter will lead to us not only experiencing peace within ourselves, but we will also be able to extend that peace to others. This is how lives and societies are transformed!

First Step

The first step in discovering this peace is through the peace God made possible for us to have with Him. Ever since sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, humans have been born into sin and separated from God. But even at that moment, God, by His grace, put into motion His plan to bring us back into relationship with Him. That plan was firmly achieved when Jesus Christ, God in flesh, entered this world to take the punishment for our sins and remove the sentence that we deserved. He was the only sinless One who could make a way for us to Heaven. When He later rose from the grave, He also defeated the power of death. Throughout the Bible, we are urged to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, because it is only through Him that we can be set free from all the effects of sin – including our often frenzied and disorderly and draining emotions. In Jesus Christ, we now have direct access to God and all of the perfect blessings that come from Him (see James 1:17).

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).

Remember – Jesus Christ came to show you how deeply God cares for you and wants you to live in His peace. Throughout the Bible, God is described as being gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love (Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 103:8, Joel 2:13, etc.). And He never changes (Malachi 3:6). We can rely on His steady nature and His desire for our ultimate good.

Relying on the Holy Spirit

Once we are committed to obey God and are tethered to Jesus Christ, we receive the gift of His Holy Spirit. Jesus described the Spirit as the One who would guide us and lead us into all truth (see John 16:13).

The Apostle Paul described the Spirit as the down payment or guarantee of eternal life that is to come (see Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The Holy Spirit reminds us of our hope, no matter what we face in this life. The Holy Spirit serves as our guide and our power to express our emotions in a way that is glorifying to God and edifying to the world! Emotions under control, not out-of-control.

The Apostle Paul explains in his letter to the Galatians the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of our flesh (our natural tendencies) (see Galatians 5:16-26). Flesh-based emotions can lead to all kinds of sin and wickedness, and he provides a long list that includes adultery, idolatry, wrath, selfish ambitions, envy, murders, and much more.

The solution to this is to walk in the Spirit, which sets us free to feel and act in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Through the Holy Spirit in us, from root to fruit, our emotions can be centered on and properly controlled by God, Who made all things and does all things well, and Who continues to draw us into lifegiving relationship with Him.

Eternity-centered Emotions

Think of this. Through this power, all of the emotions that the world tends to see as bad are transformed into something truly beautiful. When our hearts are focused on the everlasting Kingdom of heaven, we do not have to be controlled by ups and downs of the temporary dying kingdom of this earth.

• Grieving is now infused with hope. Though we face sorrow and death, we can know that there is coming a day when we will live forever and where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and Revelation 21:4)
• Suffering can now be endured with joy, because we can see it is strengthening us and refining us and reminding us of eternal, not temporary things (see James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:11). In addition, suffering has a way of bringing us into deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and an understanding of what His sacrifice accomplished (see 1 Peter 4:13). Jesus, also, found joy through suffering when He went to the cross, knowing that through that ordeal He would make a way for men and women to be set free from the power of sin and death (see Hebrews 12:1-2)!
• Fear can now be overcome by faith. First and foremost, if we have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, we do not need to live in fear of God’s judgment. Scripture describes God’s love as “perfect” – complete. We can replace fear with our love for God in return and faith in this truth: “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
• We also have no need to live in fear of evil or death (see Psalm 23:4) because when we seek the Lord, He is faithful to deliver us and give us peace (see Psalm 34:4 and Psalm 56:3). In fact, before Jesus left this earth to return to His heavenly throne, he gave us a precious, heavenly gift: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
• Anger can now be smoothed and steered by righteousness and God’s view of justice. When anger enters our hearts, the Holy Spirit can properly steer that anger. Perhaps most importantly, we should never believe that it’s all up to us to bring judgment on our fellow humans. Only God is perfect in His righteousness and justice, so we should ultimately leave all vengeance to Him: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
• Anxiety can be replaced with contentment and trust. Where once our lives and the world seemed out of control, when we become the Lord’s, we know that we can turn every need over to Him. He is faithful and able to take care of us and replace our anxiety with peace (see Philippians 4:6-7). Knowing that God is truly in control of all things, and that He will provide for all of our needs, can lead us to be content in every circumstance and to rely on His strength (see Philippians 4:11-13).
• Loneliness and emptiness can be exchanged for fullness and belonging. There is an epidemic of loneliness and purposelessness in our world today. So many people, even entire generations, are struggling to understand why they’re here and if their lives really matter at all. But in Christ, we can overcome this lie:

“ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Jesus promised those who are His: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18), and “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:20).

Committed to God’s ways, tethered to Christ, and guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, your emotions have the ability to draw you closer to God. As you face uncertainties and trials in this life, His compassion and truth can give you hope and strength. And above all, He can give you joy and peace in every circumstance.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).