Our Emotions Serve a Purpose

I’ll admit it — I can be an emotional basket case from time to time. Sometimes it’s something small — like a touching memory from years gone by.

Other times, it’s when I think about the sheer goodness of God or when I get a call from Bryson, my youngest grandchild -- who’s currently sailing the Mediterranean with 22 other students on a 150-foot sail boat for 90 days! (Cue the tears — again!) More about my Bryson story -- but here he is living the drream -- catching fish and working in the galley below!

Emotions. We’ve all got them — and thank goodness we do!

Jesus said in Mark 12:29-30, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” That’s not a half-hearted kind of love — that’s a passionate, full-throttle, emotionally invested kind of love.

Think about it: God Himself is emotional. He feels joy, compassion, sorrow, even righteous anger. We were created in His image, so of course we feel things deeply, too. Emotions aren’t a weakness — they’re one of God’s greatest gifts to us.

Our feelings help us connect, create, laugh, cry, and love. They help us empathize with others and celebrate life’s big (and small) wins. Even negative emotions can serve a holy purpose — they can guide us toward healing, forgiveness, and growth.

But — let’s be honest — sometimes our emotions need a little supervision. One extreme is emotionalism — when feelings run the whole show. (Been there!) Everything becomes about what we feel rather than what’s true. The other extreme? Pretending we don’t feel at all — locking it all up behind a brave face. (Also been there!)

The sweet spot? Letting God be the director of our emotional orchestra. When our hearts get out of tune, He knows just how to bring them back into harmony.

Psalm 42:11 reminds us, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Put your hope in God.”
And Philippians 4:4 adds, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!”

So, let’s not be gushers or stuffers — let’s be God-guided feelers. Feel deeply. Love passionately. Laugh often. And when those tears come (for any reason), let them remind you that emotions aren’t messy mistakes — they’re beautiful proof that your heart is alive and that God’s Spirit is still at work within you.

Emotions aren’t flaws — they’re fingerprints of God’s heart in us. Feel deeply, love freely, rejoice always.

#FaithAndFeelings #GodsDesign