“Emotions don’t always tell the truth.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 29, 2023
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Psalm 30:2, ESV
I’m a crier. I cry when I see puppy dogs hurting, people struggling, and people having fun. I get choked up when couples say, “I do,” when kids experience happiness from jumping in puddles, and when I see my family members enjoying one another. I love feeling life because it makes for a grand, full adventure with Jesus.
When I was younger, however, my emotions controlled and ruled me. If I felt something (whether it was positive or negative), I believed it. I lived by my feelings rather than by truth and so I was enslaved—and it was very painful!
Granted, the ability to experience emotion is good. It’s a gift God has given to humanity. He is emotional Himself and we are made in His image.
But our emotions can be manipulated by what we see, by what we experience, by others, by our perception of ourselves, and by unseen forces.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Because our emotions can be manipulated by seen and unseen forces, the wise believer acknowledges that emotions do not always tell the truth. Therefore, they do not see emotions as guides (like I did when I was young), but rather they see them as a way to point them to truth, to deeper intimacy with Jesus, and to emotional healing.
For example, let’s say I wake one morning, and I feel sad. Intrusive thoughts weigh me down. There is nothing good in the future. I might as well not live. As a result, I feel depressed.
Rather than believe my emotions and accept them as truth, I need to see them as a diagnostic to point me toward the healing power that comes from being connected to the truth of God, His Word, and to the Holy Spirit.
So, I go to the Lord and say, “I feel sad and depressed this morning. I feel like there isn’t any hope for the future. Please show me your truth. Please give me your perspective, Jesus.”
Through prayer, listening for the Lord, and reading Scripture, Christ can come in to give me His truth for my emotions. By using emotions as guides to point us to healing in the Lord, they cannot be used by the powers of darkness to manipulate and deceive us. Instead, they are the reason we experience greater intimacy with Jesus, guidance in everyday life, and healing for the things that hurt.
The wise believer acknowledges that their emotions don’t always tell them the truth, but that they can always point them toward the Truth Teller.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).
Prayer
Lord, I love that I can always come to you with my emotions and feelings. I love that you will listen to my joy and my sadness and that you will always give me your truth when I ask for it. How faithful and loving you are! Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Application
Share your emotions with the Lord today and listen for His truth through the Word, or listening to prayer.
Related Reading
Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 56:8; Psalm 34:18
Worship Resource
Steffany Gretzinger & Jeremy Riddle: King of my Heart
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