God's Emotions--And What They Mean For UsSample

How to Respond to Feelings

Unless we are grounded in biblical wisdom, we can’t expect to respond properly to our emotional perceptions. Our feelings must be fully surrendered to the lordship of Christ and the truth of God’s Word because they are nowhere near as reliable as the Word. It is all-important that we learn to interpret our feelings through the lens that the Word of God provides.

To be well-grounded requires being well-planted in the first place—being firmly rooted and growing steadily. The best soil in which to grow is found in the body of Christ, of course. As you participate regularly in corporate worship and fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and as you listen to sound teaching about God’s truth, you will flourish. That is the way to find your special place in the body, and that is how you learn to work together with others under the leadership of the Spirit. 

After you have established a strong root system, you can explore what it means to be led by the Spirit. We grow up accustomed to being led by our soul—often defined as the mind, the will, and the emotions—and doing things on our own. But once we meet our Savior and give our lives to Him, we must start to learn how to walk all over again and how to respond to the Spirit of Christ dwelling in union with our spirit. 

Spirit, Soul, and Body

The apostle Paul prayed this fervent prayer for the believers under his care: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV).

“Spirit, soul and body.” You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a physical body. It takes all three components, united and functioning as one, to represent the image of the triune God. As indicated earlier, the soul is often described as being composed of the mind, the will, and the emotions. The component parts are usually stated in that order, with emotions “bringing up the rear,” somehow not being given as much attention in Christian circles as the mind and the will. But it is important to consider how they contribute to the way your soul functions.

The soul is, all at the same time, a receiver, a translator, and an interpreter. It is the receiver of information and revelation from multiple sources, receiving input through all of its sensory “gateways.” We are inundated with information on a daily basis: news, opinions, images, cultural and philosophical systems. We are also pummeled by our fleshly desires. Data, both sought and unsolicited, is being transmitted to our souls all the time; some comes from the powers of darkness, some comes from our own minds, and some comes from the Holy Spirit. How can we determine what we should keep and what we should discard? 

This is where our soul as translator and interpreter comes in. Our soul translates the impulses into “readable” signals, interpreting them in accordance with our existing filters, prejudices, and background. Some of this information further imprints our soul “filter” as it is received, translated, and interpreted. Our mind and emotions react to the information.

Our soul is the storage place for memories, good and bad, from all of our life experiences. When a memory surfaces, it may well be accompanied by a flood of emotions. Some of these emotions may be quite strong and potentially damaging. This is why, in Christian circles, we sometimes talk about the “healing of memories.” While we recognize that God does not want to erase our memories, we have developed techniques for listening to our memories so that, by the power of choosing forgiveness and applying the healing blood of Jesus to old wounds, we can stop the sting and prevent any further damage. Thus, while the memory remains, the emotional pain is lessened and eventually can be released and removed. 

Renewing Our Soul

One of the great benefits of our new life in Christ is that we get to refresh and renew our soul. A passage that addresses soul renewal directly is found in Paul’s epistle to the Romans:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

When you know how to identify ungodly beliefs, you can adopt godly beliefs in their place. The Holy Spirit will shine His light on ungodly beliefs (not too many at one time, so as not to overwhelm you) to help you see how they fail to line up with God’s Word. You may have developed some persistent thought patterns that have established strongholds in your mind. But even lifelong strongholds are not too strong to withstand the divinely powerful weapons of Christ Jesus, with which you can dismantle any ungodly stronghold. 

Repentance and forgiveness will always be first steps. As you open your heart to God’s light, and as the truth of the situation becomes apparent, be quick to take responsibility for any ungodly beliefs you may have been harboring. Do whatever He shows you, and ask Him for the courage and fortitude you need to carry it out.

Then you can move into newness. You can adopt godly beliefs, which He will show you when you seek Him. James writes, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:21–22 NKJV). Amazingly, the divine Word can effect permanent changes in your soul.

If you attend to your soul’s welfare, you can move out into the dimension of sanctified thoughts, feelings, and emotions and be responsive to the Holy Spirit rather than reacting to everything through the filter of your unhealed soul.

A simple verse from 3 John clearly portrays the will of God for our lives: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2 NKJV).

So how do you, as a sensitive member of the body of Christ, appropriately respond to your feelings and emotions? You do it by being renewed by God’s Word one day at a time. This will enable you to say yes to Him every day, with joy. Then you will be a clean, more whole candidate to receive, sense, and feel the Holy Spirit’s impulses and know how to properly respond. It is actually quite an exciting journey!

PRAYER OF A PASSIONATE HEART

Father, You know I want to learn how to properly respond to Your work in my soul. I want to respond rather than react out of my existing worldview, which includes various false ideas and perceptions. Guide me into healing and sanctification. Identify my wounds, many of which I have fostered and excused. Move in on the ungodly misbeliefs that have chained my soul in captivity. Teach me how to identify them, and help me to replace them with new and godly beliefs based on Your Word. I surrender myself to being led by Your Holy Spirit from this time forward. I pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.