Emotions

4. General Counseling Topics
Written By Bryan Carlson

A Biblical theology on emotions acknowledges that emotions are a fundamental part of human experience and that they can be a powerful force for good or ill. Emotions can reflect our deepest desires, hopes, fears, and pains, and they can shape our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. However, because of the fall of humanity and the impact of sin, emotions are also prone to distortion, deception, and destruction.

The Bible affirms the value of emotions as an essential aspect of our humanity. God, as the creator of humanity, has emotions (e.g., love, anger, joy, sadness), and He made us in His image to experience emotions as well. In the Old Testament, the Psalms and prophets often express a range of emotions, from joy and gratitude to anger and lamentation. The New Testament likewise highlights emotions such as love, joy, peace, and compassion, and Jesus himself experienced and expressed a range of emotions throughout his life and ministry.

At the same time, the Bible also recognizes the danger of emotions that are not aligned with God's character and truth. Sinful emotions, such as anger, envy, jealousy, bitterness, and lust, can lead us astray and cause harm to ourselves and others. The Bible warns us against giving in to our emotions in ways that dishonor God or violate His commandments (e.g., Ephesians 4:26-27).

The Bible provides guidance on how to manage our emotions in a way that honors God and promotes our well-being. We are encouraged to bring our emotions to God in prayer, seeking His wisdom and comfort in times of distress (e.g., Philippians 4:6-7). We are also called to cultivate emotions that reflect the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Biblical theology on emotions also recognizes the importance of the mind in shaping our emotions. The Bible teaches us to renew our minds with God's truth, so that our thoughts are aligned with His character and will (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Philippians 4:8). As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God's Word, our emotions can be transformed to reflect His truth and values.

Questions to answer with our counselee

  • How do your emotions align with God's word and His character? Are they in line with the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?

  • How do your emotions affect your relationship with God and others?

  • What are the root causes of your emotions? Are they coming from a place of fear, anger, anxiety, or hurt? How can you turn to God to address these underlying issues?

  • How can you invite God into your emotional struggles and rely on His strength and comfort to navigate them? Are you taking time to pray, meditate on Scripture, and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit?

  • How can you use your emotions to glorify God and serve others? Are you seeking to use your emotions to show compassion, empathy, and understanding towards those around you?

Stories to consider

David in the Psalms

David, the author of many of the Psalms, is a great example of someone who was open and honest with his emotions before God. Throughout the Psalms, David expresses a wide range of emotions, including joy, gratitude, fear, anger, sadness, and despair. However, no matter what he was feeling, David consistently turned to God for comfort, reassurance, and guidance.

For example, in Psalm 23, David expresses his trust in God's guidance and provision even in the midst of challenging circumstances: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1-4).

Here, David acknowledges that even when he faces difficult and dark circumstances, he can trust in God's presence and guidance to bring him comfort and peace.

Similarly, in Psalm 13, David expresses his despair and sorrow but ultimately chooses to trust in God's unfailing love and salvation: "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death; And my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,' and my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation" (Psalm 13:1-5).

Here, David is transparent about his emotions of sadness and despair, but he ultimately chooses to trust in God's unfailing love and salvation to bring him hope and joy.

In Psalm 42, David expresses his longing for God's presence and help, acknowledging his feelings of sadness and discouragement: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?' These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God" (Psalm 42:1-5, NASB).

Here, David acknowledges his feelings of longing, sadness, and despair but ultimately chooses to place his hope in God and trust in His help and salvation.

Overall, David's example in the Psalms teaches us the importance of being open and honest with our emotions before God. He reminds us that no matter what we are feeling, we can trust in God's presence, guidance, and love to bring us comfort, reassurance, and hope.

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)

The story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is a powerful example of how even the Son of God experienced intense emotions and struggled with the weight of His mission on earth. In this story, Jesus has just finished the Last Supper with His disciples and knows that His arrest, trial, and crucifixion are imminent. As He enters the garden to pray, He experiences deep sorrow and anguish, as described in Matthew 26:37-38:

"He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.'"

Jesus' emotions are so intense that He describes His soul as being "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." He knows what is coming and is wrestling with the reality of the suffering and sacrifice that He will soon endure. However, despite His intense emotions, Jesus remains obedient to God's will. He prays earnestly, asking God if there is any other way to fulfill His mission (Matthew 26:39):

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"

In this prayer, Jesus acknowledges the magnitude of what He is about to face and expresses His desire for an alternative. However, He ultimately surrenders to God's will, acknowledging that it is not His own will, but God's that must be done. Jesus' obedience to God's will is further emphasized when He prays a second time, repeating His desire to avoid the suffering that is to come, but again submitting to God's plan (Matthew 26:42):

"He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.'"

Ultimately, Jesus' example of intense emotion and obedience to God's will in the Garden of Gethsemane serves as a powerful reminder that even when we face overwhelming circumstances and emotions, we can trust in God's plan and rely on His strength to see us through.

Verses for study

  • Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

  • Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

  • Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

  • Philippians 4:4-8: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

  • 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

  • Deuteronomy 31:6: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

  • Psalm 94:19: "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."

  • Proverbs 17:22: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

  • Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

  • Matthew 5:4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Put off | Put on

"to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:22-24 ESV)

Article: A Biblical Theology of Emotions by Bryan Carlson

Emotion is defined as “a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body” (merriam-webster.com).

A Biblical theology of emotions: God Himself has the purest ability to respond emotionally, feeling emotions such as delight (Isaiah 42:1, Matthew 3:17), anger (Psalm 7:11), compassion (Isaiah 49:15-16), and grief (Psalm 78:40). Mankind, made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), also possesses the capacity to respond emotionally to their environment. God's purest forms of responding emotionally to His creation arise out of what He values because of who He is. He values His glory (Isaiah 42:8), His people dwelling in fellowship with Himself (Revelation 21:3), righteousness and justice (Psalm 33:5), His Son (Matthew 3:17), His people (Isaiah 62:5), His will/redemptive plan for creation (Ephesians 1:5), grace/mercy (Micah 6:8), meekness/humility (Isaiah 42:2-3; Matthew 5:3), love for people (Romans 13:8), and more. When God's image bearers depart from His values on earth, He responds emotionally in anger, grief, compassion, etc. (Psalm 7:11, Psalm 78:40, Isaiah 49:15-16). When God's image bearers conform to having His values on earth, God responds emotionally in delight and joy— His Son is the ultimate example of this (Matthew 3:17). As image bearers, mankind has righteously informed emotions as they cultivate valuing what God values. Valuing from the heart what God values results in emoting like God emotes.

The role of emotions for the Biblical counselor: Emotions are value indicators of the counselee (James 4:1— pleasures that wage war in your members). What angers the counselee (Genesis 4:5; Jonah 4:1)? What grieves the counselee? What brings the counselee joy? These emotions are windows into the worship and love of the counselee's heart (1 John 2:15-17). The counselor must help the counselee see the temporal, corrupt, and destructive nature of earthly values and pleasures. This requires a biblical perspective on the futility of seeking fulfillment in this world, as described in 1 John 2:17, which states that the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

The distinction between righteous and sinful emotions: The counselee who values the pleasures of this world will have distorted emotive responses to whatever degree they obtain or are unable to obtain those pleasures. An example of distorted anger over the inability to obtain earthly pleasures/comforts is bitterness (Ephesians 4:31). The counselee who values what God values will have righteous emotive responses, as His Father and Savior have. By showing the counselee the beauty and eternality of God and His ways, as well as the temporal, corrupt, and destructive nature of earthly values, the counselor can help the counselee to renew their mind and transform their emotive responses. By exhorting them to believe and repent from valuing the pleasures of this world, the counselor can guide the counselee towards a righteous and godly expression of their emotions.

The use of Scripture to help the Believer's emotions: The renewing of the mind of the believer is necessary in order to respond differently as a new man (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; Hebrews 4:12). Showing the counselee the beauty and eternality of God and His ways from Scripture can renew their mind's valuing of what God values (Psalm 119:33-40; Philippians 2:1-11). Showing the counselee the temporal, corrupt, and destructive nature of earthly values can facilitate repentance of valuing/loving the pleasures of this world (Ephesians 4:22; 1 John 2:17; 1 Samuel 15:19-30). Exhorting the counselee to believe and repent from valuing, living for, and loving the pleasures of this world will begin to transform their emotive responses. The Apostle Paul instructs believers to put off their old self, which is corrupted by deceitful desires, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). This can only be accomplished by the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). As a counselor, using Scripture to help the counselee change improper emotions requires a thorough understanding of the biblical text and an ability to apply it to the specific situation of the counselee. The counselor must show the counselee how their emotions reveal what they value and worship and help them to cultivate a love for what God loves. Psalm 119:33-40 is a helpful passage to guide the counselee in this process, as it expresses the psalmist's desire to understand and obey God's commands, and to be led by His truth. (Faith notes 25-27)

Faith Biblical Counseling, ACBC Exam Track 5, 25-27.

Merriam Webster, merriam-webster.com

Resources

“Managing Your Emotions” by Amy Baker

“Feelings and Faith” by Brian Borgman

“Passions of the Heart” by John Street

Bryan Carlson
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