The Truth About Feelings
The Pixar film “Inside Out” tells the story of Riley, an 11-year-old girl, who, after moving to a new city, experiences a wide array of emotions, expressed in feelings. These “feelings”, ranging from joy to sadness, attempt to control Riley, but eventually she learns to manage them and use them to her benefit. And although this film speaks primarily to adolescents, I feel confident there’s a lesson or two included in it for us older kids as well.
Feelings and Emotions
The terms “feelings” and “emotions” are used interchangeably, yet they’re not the same. Instead, as Kendra Cherry, MS Ed explains, “Emotions are reactions to stimuli, but feelings are what we experience as a result of emotions.” In essence, our inward feelings are a result of outward factors. And because these factors change regularly, our feelings do as well. This is why we must not allow feelings to dictate or control our actions or decision making. Yet, this doesn’t imply feelings are bad or wrong.
Feelings are Good
Instead, feelings are good. And we know this to be true as feelings were and are God’s idea. He created us in His image, as emotional beings with the capacity to feel. As human beings we are also feeling beings. This means we can understand feelings such as joy, sadness, disappointment, compassion, and pain, just as God Himself did. And this is a tremendous gift, enabling us to express our feelings to God in prayer and worship, and to experience them in relationships with one another.
At the same time, feelings, if not surrendered to the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, have the potential of leading us to places we never intended to go, resulting in actions we never intended to take, and words we never intended to say. Yet, we shouldn’t fear, deny, or repress our feelings. Instead, we should surrender them to God in prayer, asking Him to direct them in ways that honor Him and edify others.
The Bible Addresses Feelings
The Bible does not shrink back one iota in addressing feelings. Rather, the Bible includes the stories of real life people, emotional beings like we are, who experience pain, suffering, loss, disappointment, jealousy, pride, but also victory, joy, contentment, gratitude, peace, and love. Through these stories we learn the critical importance of managing feelings in the right way, and the consequences that result when we don’t.
Jesus, the God-Man
Most significantly in the Bible, we read the story of Jesus, the God-Man, experiencing the same human emotions and feelings we do. In the Gospels, we see Jesus demonstrating compassion to the lost, sick and hurting. We see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, and at the death of a close friend. We witness Jesus’s anger in response to the religious leaders and the unholy treatment of the Temple. And we experience Jesus’s feelings of betrayal and abandonment on the night before His crucifixion, and ultimately His extreme suffering on the cross. And in this we have great hope, and here’s why:
There is Hope
There is hope for us as emotional, feeling beings, because Jesus experienced every emotion, feeling, and temptation you and I will ever face, yet He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). There is hope for us when we are anxious, worried, or afraid because Jesus continually prays to God on our behalf. There is hope for us when we feel angry, prideful, or jealous, as the Holy Spirit empowers us with self-control. And there is hope for us when we feel rejected, betrayed, or mistreated because the Spirit of God inside us is far greater than the spirit of this world.
The world tells us we are powerless against our emotions, slaves to our feelings, much like 11-year-old Riley felt in response to her move. But this is simply not true. Instead, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:37). And by this we know we can in fact, control our emotions and express our feelings in a God-honoring way.
So perhaps this week, take some time thanking God for creating you with emotions and feelings, feelings that enable you to experience Him and others in a profound and intimate way. Additionally, ask God to reveal to you any unexplained feelings, and/or ones that do not align with His Word, asking Him to transform them into praiseworthy ones. And finally, the next time you are moved to tears, angry at injustice, or break out in hearty laughter, offer your thanks to God for the privilege to feel and the gift of feelings.
Pray
Father God, thank you for creating me in your image with the capacity to feel. I understand feelings are a gift and privilege from you. Empower me by your Spirit, to interpret and to express my feelings wisely, in a way that honors you and encourages others. Amen.
Reflect
In what ways are you personally encouraged, knowing Jesus experienced every human emotion and feeling that we do, yet never sinned?
Encourage others with your response to this week’s question HERE!