Feelings can be fearsome and formidable things.
I wonder sometimes if we aren’t our own worst accusers,
especially when it comes to embarking on guilt trips over our own emotions. Especially
the darkest, most difficult ones.
When we feel down, we may wonder if we’re losing our joy in
the Lord. When we’re furious, we tend to worry that we are harboring
unforgiveness. When we are startled or afraid, we often browbeat ourselves, as
if we are not trusting God enough. When we worry, we stress that we may be
lacking in faith. When we grieve, we might think we are losing sight of God’s
promise of eternity.
Um, no.
Faith is a choice. We decide to believe God, no matter what
happens. We trust Him. That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to go through
difficult emotions. Does feeling down or angry or sad or worried change the
faith choice we have made?
Or are we simply going through pains of earth-bound
humanness?
Here are a few
examples. (The names are changed to protect confidentiality.)
I have a dear friend who struggles with clinical depression.
Cherie is a remarkable woman of faith. I’ve seen her trust God through circumstantial
crises that could rock anyone’s world. She also faithfully prays for others,
when they walk through difficult times. However, when depression drags her
down, she is genuinely burdened. How can anyone question her faith, as she
soldiers through such seasons?
Jerry (a family friend) stepped into his driveway last week
and found the tires on his truck had been slashed. You can bet he was angry, as
he reported the crime to local police. He’s not racing off to avenge the evil
personally, but he is still steamed over it. I’m thinking that’s a pretty solid
case of this Scripture: “Be ye angry, and
sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” (Ephesians 4:26, KJV).
Doris fell off her horse a few months ago and broke her arm.
He spooked when a rabbit ran onto the woodsy trail, where she was riding with a
friend. Yesterday, she was riding him in the field behind the stables where she
keeps him, and he scooted sideways suddenly. She yelped and grabbed the horn of
her Western saddle to stay aboard. An hour after dismounting, she was still
shaken up. Does that mean her faith is questionable? Of course not!
Karla just lost her job after more than a decade
of dedicated responsibility. She showed up in the morning, only to discover the
company was closing – effective immediately. Did I mention Karla is a single
parent?
“I know God has a better plan,” she confessed. “But right
now, I am scared to death.” Does anybody want to throw rocks at her faith? No
way.
A friend from church lost her sister to a prolonged illness
recently. Polly knows her sister loved the Lord. She is confident that her
sister is in Heaven. But her grief is real. Who can deny that?
Sometimes our most difficult
emotions feel like they are contrary to the truth on which our faith rests.
This life can be downright hard, and our souls are wired for
eternity. So how does the believer reconcile biblical contrasts like “Rejoice always” (2 Thessalonians 5:16, NIV)
and “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”
(Matthew 5:4, NIV)?
Doesn’t rejoicing seem diametrically
opposed to mourning? Or is it?
The Bible instructs us to guard our hearts
(see Proverbs 4:23) and to rein in wayward or destructive thoughts (see 2
Corinthians 10:5). So we are responsible for our hearts and our thoughts. What
about our feelings?
Perhaps
emotions are another matter.
In the Old Testament, we read that there
are appropriate times for all sorts of emotions (see Ecclesiastes 3:4-6).
Jesus even experienced real-life human
emotions. We know He wept (see John 11:35). He flipped tables over in the
Temple (see Mark 11:15). And I am certain He laughed.
It seems to me that the God who created us
with intense feelings, both pleasant and difficult, gave us the freedom to feel
them. Maybe it’s more about holding onto truth, even through flat or fiery or
flailing feelings. Because we live in the light of His blood-bought,
grace-filled redemption, we know that guilt trips are not of His making.
OK, I get that we are not supposed to
wallow. But difficult emotions do take some time to process.
I love the Lord. I love that He fills us
with His hope and joy and peace. But there are times when I just stop and
sigh and love that there is even a book of the Bible titled “Lamentations.”
Because sometimes we simply feel like lamenting for a while. And that’s not a
bad thing, if it draws us closer to God in the middle of our pain.
Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. (Lamentations 2:19, NLT)
We can feel (all sorts of feelings) without
failing in faith or letting go of what we know to be true. And in time, we
trust Him to restore us again and again.
Image:
Adapted from public domain
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