Emotionalism #2
"He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them." John 12:40 NASBI have been doing a lot of thinking and searching in my mind about my last post on Emotionalism. What is happening in me is a real revelation of what the Bible actually says and how we seem to believe something it doesn't say.
There are no admonitions about "following" our emotions or the dangers of "being led by our feelings." There just simply are none. The heart is often mentioned and mentioned in connection with the mind or with results that come from the mind, as in the above quote. When we begin to discover the understanding in both the Old and New Testament regarding the word "heart," it is always the mind and the emotions involved. I have not found one place where it means only the emotions. It is both. The heart thinks, stores data, and is the motivation for speaking. Maybe I am missing something here, but I am not finding any indication that our emotions are not to be 100 percent involved in what we are doing.
We are to have hearts that are aflame with God, not hard ones (both in picture). But for some reason we, in the US anyway, have come to believe that emotional interaction in church or anywhere regarding the Lord is a lack of education or maturity. How very far from the truth this is!
We need to truly be Biblical. Let us work with Word terminology and not what we "see" or even with modern psychological understanding. Emotional expressions are a part of our release of the love of Jesus, and should not be shut out. Those expressions do not have to be loud, or pentecostal, or anything else, but they must be released or else our religion will be blinded by intellectual information instead of the reality of love released into life.
We are not "cookie-cutter" Christians. We are different from one another, and our expressions of the release of His love will be different. But we must allow freedom here, and we must warn those who choose to be "non-emotional" of the dangers of that, and its non-Biblical premise.
Comments
Emotions are displayed in every negative situation -- fights, selfishness, verbal onslaughts -- but we're supposed to act emotionally sterile when it comes to worship, the most positive experience we'll have all week?
As a fairly conservative person, I can tell you those emotions ARE there. Our outward expressions may differ, but there's no denying the emotions.
I've been looking at the relationship between lack of emotion and the intensity of criticism/hurt one receives. Investigating whether emotional withdrawal is a cover up for the pain highly criticized people endure.
Provocative post for me. Thanks.
RK
Emotions are indicative of what is inside. Negative emotions are simply the result of negative and rotten thinking. This is the main point. Our emotions follow our thoughts. When the mind becomes darkened with sin, then emotions respond to that mind.
I believe there are quite a few studies done on the effects of abuse on the emotions and I think you are correct. When abuse happens then the person withdraws in their mind, therefore they withdraw in their emotions. The emotions will simply follow the mind. Redo the mind, and amazing things change.
Again, thanks for reading. I trust you, your family, and the work of the Kingdom in your hands are doing well. That is my prayer.
My first time to visit your blog. This is exactly the area I am trying to address in my current sharing of thoughts on the imagination. I appreciate your encouragements here to our brothers and sisters to recognize the emotions of us as part of the whole picture.
My wife and I just visited central NY in October. We flew into Syracuse and spent a long weekend in Ithaca. Wow!!! Some of the most beautiful countryside we have ever seen!
Again, thanks for visiting. I will be writing more in this vein as soon as I have a bit of time to do so. I have been enjoying your blog.