I work with many Christians who either ignore emotions because God is about truth, or they are ashamed of their feelings because they believe it is a sign of weakness. Both of these ideas are biblically untrue and will lead to an unhealthy mental state.
A Few Truths We Must Accept
- God created us.
- Emotions are real.
- Therefore, God created feelings.
I start by walking a client through these three points to help them understand how to look at emotions. Once this is established, we look to scripture to confirm this reality.
Begin in the Psalms
I often take clients to the Psalms. The Psalms are full of emotional language in songs and prayers to God. The Psalmist cries out to God with real and deep emotion, and God hears them. The examples in the book of Psalms reinforce these three truths. When clients experience this, they begin to be free to identify and find healthy ways to express emotions. For those who have ignored or were ashamed of feelings, it will take some time to gain comfort while exploring this new reality.
Take it Slowly
I encourage my clients to start simply by taking time to read a Psalm a day, writing down the emotions they see, and attempting to identify if they have felt or experienced the emotions before. Finally, I ask them to pray about their emotional response to life in their daily prayers. I have found this helpful in the development of deeper intimacy with God because we come to Him with our whole being – body, mind, and soul.
Trust God to Teach
As a believer, you do not need to be afraid or ashamed of your emotions. However, don’t ignore or be driven by your feelings. Instead, let them teach you how God created you to be whole. Learn and lean into healthy ways to communicate your feelings. This can be done through praying, writing, and discussing God’s word with one another. It may be helpful to take some time to see what scripture says in the many “one another” passages.
I encourage you to evaluate your view and responses to your emotions. I implore you to explore the scriptures of the Psalms to develop a healthier view.
Start Now
Here are just a few suggestions to get you started:
- Psalm 6
- Psalm 10
- Psalm 13
- Psalm 77
- Psalm 142
- Psalm 143
May God bless your journey!
by Troy Snyder MS, NCC, LPC, CCSAS, CPCS
Roswell and Woodstock Locations
troy@restorationcounselingatl.com, ext. 113
Troy specializes in three distinct areas: sexual addiction, anger, and adolescent issues. In these specialties, he works with adult males, adolescent males, and couples. He takes a holistic approach to helping his clients by working closely with the parents, spouse, family members, and friends to help his clients create a better foundation for success.