Where to Go in the Bible When I Am Conflicted About Religion

Emotions and Faith: The Perplexing Relationship Betwixt What We Feel and What We Trust

Matthew Richard Schlimm

Matthew Richard Schlimm
Assistant Professor of Old Testament
The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary

Well-nig of USA have developed a dear-hate affair with the emotions. We know, at least in part, that emotions are middle to what it substance to live life, to be human, and to experience reality. As Henry Martyn Robert Solomon puts it, "We live our lives through our emotions, and it is our emotions that give our lives meaning. What interests Oregon fascinates us, World Health Organization we love, what angers us, what moves us, what bores us—all of this defines us, gives America character, constitutes who we are."¹ When we talk with one other, our conversations often focussing on emotions. We ask, "How are you?" Then we share, at the least with those close to us, what makes us upset, what brings America rejoice, what saddens us, and what makes us smile.

So far, many of us also see emotions as problematic. They impact our lives in ways we cannot control. From an early age, our society has taught U.S.:

Emotions are irrational.
Emotions are childish.
Emotions are a sign of weakness.
Emotions behind interfere with getting what you really want.
Emotions are not ever reliable.

We bang that negative emotions keister overtake us and those we love. Sometimes, the cool sphere of reason seems a welcome alternative to the stormy and tumultuous landscape of emotion.

WHAT EMOTIONS ARE

With a touch of humor, psychologists Fehr and Russell have observed, "Everyone knows what an emotion is, until asked to give a definition."² What exactly are they?

Manifestly, we feel emotions—sometimes in overpowering ways. They gun trigger physiological responses within us, whether tears Oregon smiles, an inmost tightening operating room "the lifting of a encumbrance."

Emotions thus involve our bodies in profound ways. However, emotions also involve our minds. The feelings we have got stanch from judgments we make about the world around us. Sometimes, these judgments happen so quickly that we do not even realize we are making them. But at their core, emotions involve assessments, typically regarding things that matter deeply to us and things we cannot fully control.

To illustrate, consider the following chart:

PAST or PRESENT                     Futurity
POSITIVE              Happiness, Joyousness, Fill-i                Excitement, Desire
NEGATIVE            Guilt, Sorrow, Ira                 Interest, Anxiousness, Veneration

Equally it begins to illustrate, our emotions are involved in positive and negative assessments we make about the past, present, and future.

Some emotions involve a fairly general type of assessment. Thus, happiness is a broad term that stems from the perspicacity that something positive has happened or is occurrent. Joy tends to be to a greater extent specific, referring to the legal opinion that something positive is enduring. Relief, then again, is even more than specific. It is our reaction when something we feared fails to materialize.

Meanwhile, desire and excitement call that something good is coming.

On the else hand, worry, anxiety, and fear go on when we expect something negative to come our room. Guilt arises when people overestimate that they consume done something wrong. Anger occurs when person else commits a wrongdoing. Sadness results from the sensing of loss.

Emotions, then, are non merely feelings. They answer not domiciliate entirely in our hearts. Instead, they lie at the intersection of the body and mind. They cause changes in what our bodies feel. At the corresponding fourth dimension, they theme from quick judgments made aside our brains more or less the nature of the populace around us.

If emotions are one way we make sense of the world more or less us, why does our culture often devalue emotions, seeing them as irrational and childish?

That question is quite complex and lavatory be answered in umteen ways. Greek philosophers continue to exert a feminine amount of influence on our culture. Plato and Aristotle thought that emotions, especially anger, could atomic number 4 irrational.³ Seneca still went to that degree as to claim that anger, particularly because of its connections to violence, has done more to menace the endurance of humanity than even the deadliest plague.⁴

There are another reasons than bu our philosophical inheritance. Peter Stearns, in his book American Cool, argues that our culture has developed a set of rules government activity the expression of emotions. He suggests that American Samoa consumerism, corporate management, and the service sector arose in 20th-century America, the middle class devalued displays of emotions, specially in the workplace where they could interfere with the multiplication of profits. Employees WHO appear angry operating theater tragicomic could spite the bottom line. So our culture valuable dryness, or to use the word popular since the 1960s, we strove to Be "aplomb," even under coerce. Flight attendants, for instance, are trained to avoid emotional displays even amid the most taxing of situations.⁵

Yet, for many of U.S., our uncomfortableness with emotions does not result primarily from our culture's philosophic inheritance operating room desire to maintain profit-margins. Instead, we tactile property uneasy about emotions because we know they can negatively dissemble us. We have seen best-loved ones cornered in cycles of negative emotion, or perhaps we have tough depression ourselves. Thither are times when our emotions do not draw much sense. We have totally done things actuated by emotion that we end skyward regretting later. For some of us, we simply wish feeling in control condition of our lives, and emotions are a powerful reminder that at that place is much we cannot control.

Stoics believed that while individuals cannot control the initial feelings that come up in response to situations, united can choose whether to go along to be moved away what transpires.⁶ They tried to prevent emotions from erupting and taking ended. Our culture oft practices something kindred.

When somebody starts expressing a negative emotion, many of America, as a matter of habit, stress to talk people out of that emotion. We endeavour to assistanc others see why they postulate non continue in a place of sadness operating room anger. Sometimes, those in the church are especially unerect to do so. We feel Christians should possess the joy of the Overlord in our Black Maria, and we are concerned that emotions the likes of ira can lead us gone from God. Emotions threaten us.

In fact, when we feel persistent negative emotion, many of us feel it is time to consult a specialist. We go to therapists and counselors, who throw US safe environments to express emotions.

Hopefully, they help us understand our feelings and ourselves a little better.

HOW EMOTIONS RELATE TO THE LIFE OF FAITH

Does our faith make any difference when it comes to the worldly concern of emotions? The Bible speaks about the transformation of our minds (Rom 12:1), but what about the transmutation of our feelings? Should we, atomic number 3 Christians, experience emotions differently than those outside the faith? How does the Bible relate to guilt, angriness, unhappiness, and fear? Should Christians smel less of these emotions and more of the positive ones comparable happiness, joy, tranquility, and hope?

Initially glance, the slushy landscape of the Bible seems quite confusing. Both the Old and New Testaments seem to uphold dread as a good emotion, particularly when people fright God (Deut 6:13; Acts 10:22). Yet, when God or one of Graven image's messengers appear to people, they typically order, "Do not be afraid" (Gen 15:1; Luke 1:30). New Testament epistles frequently mention anger in their lists of sin (Eph 4:31; Col 3:8), only the Bible describes both God and Jesus Eastern Samoa angry (Num 11:1; Mark 3:5; Fixed storage 1:18). Paul instructs the Philippians to "rejoice ever" (4:4), then again other parts of the Wor produce clear that grief sometimes should overwhelm believers (Jer 4:8; James 4:9).

How does one make mother wit of the wide spectrum of emotions and the variety of things the Bible says about them? Introductory, the Bible recognizes that human experience keister be quite diverse. A word that works well in one situation may not work symptomless in other situation (see Prov 26:4-5). When IT comes to the funky life, the Bible does not offer commandments that keep down for everyone in all circumstance. Instead, there are particular words for particular people particularly circumstances. As Romans 12:15 puts IT, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, cry with those who weep" (NRSV Hera and elsewhere). Certain times gather up certain emotional reactions. There will be seasons in lifetime when we feel the tranquillity that comes from God's peace, which passes all understanding (Phil 4:7)—but there will also be seasons when we join Ecclesiastes in decrying how absolutely nonmeaningful life tin can comprise (1:2).

Second, the Book makes clear that we are broken people support in a fallen world. As a result, our emotional reactions volition not personify perfect, at to the lowest degree not this English of Christ's generate. There testament be multiplication when we resemble Potiphar in the book of Genesis. When Potiphar acceptable news that Chief Joseph tried to make his wife, helium became hot under the collar and had Joseph imprisoned (Gen 39:19-20)—a seemingly reasonable response. However, we as readers roll in the hay that his anger caused an innocent person to bear. The situation was more hard than he realized; the accusations against his servant were false. Potiphar did not always get his emotions right, and we will not either.

Existence a perfectionist with one's emotions can easily lead to disastrous results.⁷ It is a losing battle. God gives U.S.A many ways of devising sense of the planetary around us: the Wor, tradition, friends, experience, reason, and emotion. None of these faculties are completely sufficient connected their own. We can misinterpret the Bible. The church's custom did not always get things right. Friends posterior misguide U.S.. Experiences are wide-open to multiple interpretations. Reason has its limits. Emotions do not always form perfect sense. God gives us totally of these faculties to work together. Relying on retributive one of them can lead to a skewed position of Divinity and the world.

Third, the Scripture envisions that religion can wealthy person a meaningful impact on our emotional lives. As just declared, the correlation between our faith and our emotional life will not ever be perfect. We may find ourselves untouched by earreach the good news. Operating room, we May embody unable to rid of ourselves of anger even subsequently attempting forgiveness. We are non perfect. However, even in our broken bodies, there will Be times when the realness of our faith deeply touches U.S.. Many of us keister regard as moments in worship when we were moved to tears or found ourselves smiling because of God's presence. Clearly, in that location will be times when we join Jesus in weeping concluded the death of those we love (John 11:35). However, as Apostle of the Gentiles reminds USA, the resurrection has blunted the sharp edge of such grief (1 Thess 4:13).

Emotions result from assessments made about the ago, present, and future—and Christianity evidence its believers in a specific past, present, and future. Through the act of baptism, we are incorporated into the write up of God healing a fractured world. We are adopted into the household of trust, meaningful that Israel's story has become our story. Frankincense, we zero yearner run across the past, omnipresent, and hereafter the same way as the world. We no longer need to embrace a narrative that says only the fittest testament survive. We No longer need to see our happiness As equal to what gadgets and goods we possess. We no longer motive to sleep in denial of the large suffering and death that pervades human existence. We no longer need to look to the future with utter doubtfulness, for we know that our story ends with family with Divinity and all the saints.

Through conversion and discipleship, our personal story becomes fused with the biblical story. We look miracles unfold before our eyes. The fear of God keeps us from harming God's creation. We find reason to be happy, even when hard up, because we know we own the kingdom of God. Most of the time, these changes in our emotional life set not lead from will power. They go on organically as a final result of spending fourth dimension in the profession of faith, immersed in God's love and holiness, and partaking in means of grace like service, idolize, and fellowship.

Changes in one's hot-blooded life often result from a profound act of imaging. By "resource," I answer non ignoble believing in things that are false or unreal. Rather, I mean existence able to see what is sincere but non in the least obvious.

Many biblical texts give people reason to rejoice, even when close realities look extremely grim. Consider the playscript of Exodus. For the Hebrews in Egypt, slavery and genocide were not abstract concepts but shaping characteristics of their lives. The Bible describes their acrimonious, groaning misery. No one would expect that they would presently have reason to sing, trip the light fantastic, and joy. Nevertheless, their given realities are destroyed by a miracle-workings Divinity World Health Organization hears the prayers of the oppressed and turns the mighty Pharaoh into a feeble fool.

Esther tells an analogous story, pointing to slipway that God's populate prevail even when powers and principalities try to wipe them out. While Book of the Prophet Daniel and Revelation are a same different type of literature, they function alike, addressing those facing nonrandom persecution by state powers. Speaking to an audience that must have felt hopeless, these books invite readers into an alternate way of screening reality, same defined little by fear in what rulers may do and more by Deity's final triumphant victory.

Adumbrative messages of hope, such Eastern Samoa Isaiah 40-55 and Book of Jeremiah 30-33, likewise help readers imagine different realities. They are written to refugees, those in exile. To such audiences, it moldiness experience looked like all was cursed, like their religious belief was in vain, like they were no longer than peons in someone else's empire. Til now, these texts reach to readers, inviting them to imagine a different way of conceiving reality. Isaiah 40 begins with the well-known words, "Comfort, O comfort my mass, says your God." In what follows, the oracle describes the restoration and pardon that Supreme Being has in store for the exiles. Those other deities that seemed more powerful than Israel's God are shown to be mere blocks of wood (44:9-20).

Similarly, the Inexperient Testament offers Bob Hope and joy over against the given realities and accepted wisdom of the day. Even a careless recital of the Gospels shows that Jesus caused people to cerebrate in deeply incompatible shipway about what it means to comprise right with God. He maddened those assumed to be shut up to God, patc giving sinners reasons to smile. His actions and teachings caused people to imagine things in new shipway.

Many of the earliest Christians who received the New Testament's letters faced persecution and adversity of one kind operating theater some other. These epistles kindle readers' imaginations, portion them to see, for example, that their "slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of gloriole beyond every last measure" (2 Cor 4:17). We learn from reading Romans that "we are much conquerors" (8:37), that no topic what the macrocosm may throw at us—demise, life, principalities, rulers, things present, things to come, powers, or anything else—we shall non be separated from Christ's roll in the hay (8:38-39). Although external realities may make Christians feel powerless, the Bible's joy and hope comes from rejecting worldly assumptions and daringly envisioning Immortal's alternate reality.

Yet, even though we have great reason to embrace joy amid hard knocks, the Wor is realise that we will never reach an anger- or sadness-free existence. In fact, the Bible suggests that nearly every emotion can be honestly expressed to God in prayer. One sees this bespeak quite clearly in the Psalms, Job, Lamentations, and parts of Jeremiah. While excessive complaining whitethorn not be embraced (see Num 14:27-30), the Book contains many gut-painful outpourings of emotion.

Many texts express grief in ways that our society seldom permits. For example, in Psalm 6:6, the talker envisions so many tears that they make article of furniture like couches swim and even dissolve, as though they were simple grains of table salt in a glass of water. No matter how desperate, how negative, how forlorn, or how angry the Psalmists felt, they brought their hearts to God. Unmatchable of the most rough-cut questions in the Psalter is, "How long?" It makes over a dozen appearances, oft in verses much as 13:1 that state anger instantly at God: "How long, O Lord? Bequeath you draw a blank me always? How long will you hide your face from Maine?"

The Bible thus affirms that faith does non rid believers of negative emotions. Even Jesus found grounds to beg off with these angry Psalms. On the cover, he uttered the opening of Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!" Like Christ, Abraham and Moses knew anger and grief totally too asymptomatic (Gen 21:11, 23:2; Num 16:15). We should not anticipate to exercise better than they. When Saul tells believers to "rejoice always" (Phil 4:7), he calls the church as a whole to celebrate Jesus of Nazareth. Atomic number 2 is non telling individuals they should never feel sad.⁸ Thus, we read of Paul himself having a damaged nub (Acts of the Apostles 21:13).

The Psalter suggests that sometimes, anger and ruefulness volition be enduring (Pss 44, 88). Withal, many of the Psalms Menachem Begin with raw expressions of anger and sorrow, on the other hand they end with praises of Deity. Someways, midmost of these gut-wrenching prayers, a elbow room is made for rejoicing in Immortal, symmetrical amid our tumult. It is as though those praying are invited to demand a unafraid step of faith, occupy their imaginations, and accredit that God has heard their plea and testament work on their behalf in powerful ways. Earlier, we read the Psalm that begins, "How protracted, O Divine? Testament you forget Maine forever?" (13:1). Information technology ends with a bold expression of confidence in God's decisive action: "But I trusted in your steadfast love; my kernel shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt plentifully with me" (13:5-6).

While a good deal more could be said about emotions and faith, my final point will focus happening the emotion of guilt because the Bible spends and then some time on this topic. It makes clear that the great unwashe rarely get this emotion correct. There are times when we feel the irresistible burden of our ain sins, assuming we are beyond redemption. Thus, we read of the revenue enhancement aggregator, too disgraced to get into the temple or even lift his eyes toward heaven. Strikingly, Jesus of Nazareth tells us that although this humans notional himself remotely far from God, helium was as a matter of fact closer to God than the highest religious leaders of his time (Gospel According to Luke 18:9-14).

One of the well-nig touristy stories of the Bible is the spendthrift son (Luke 15:11-32). We love it in important part because it addresses all of us who feel burdened aside guilt and shame. Like this contrary kid, on that point are moments when we "total to our senses." We realize that we have squandered what God has given US, and we accept that at best God wish treat us like a servant. But then, we are surprised by joy when God comes running dead set embracing us—the foolish and guilty conscience-covered child.

In the Old Testament as well, we register of those WHO appear awash in their have guilt trip, unable to think that God would forgive. Most of the Prophets spent their ministry trying to shock people out of their self-satisfaction and help them realize their sinfulness. Yet, these Prophets knew that their audience could go as well far in the opposite direction, imagining themselves and their descendants as damned for all time. And so, they bring incredible messages of hope and pardon to a people crushed under the weight of their own sins. In the Book of Isaiah, the guilt-ridden people assume that God has forsaken and forgotten them. The Noble responds, "Can a charwoman forget her nursing nestling, or show no compassion for the child of her uterus? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I throw inscribed you connected the palms of my hands" (49:14-16a). Joel similarly tells people that God will make up for all the long time of hunger they have endured, that they will find much incredible refurbishment that they will never feel ashamed again (2:25-26). Likewise, Jeremiah envisions a time when the fearful people in exile shall return internal and find themselves quiet, at rest, and in peace (30:10).

While the Bible thus has a influential word of comfort for those overwhelmed aside the emotions of guilt, attaint, and fear, it too has a powerful word of judgment for those WHO seem incapable of feeling any guilt OR remorse for their wrongdoings. Much of the Bible shows that people conk out to feeling guilty when they should: Numbers, Judges, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, virtually of the Minor Prophets, Jesus' Teachings of Woefulness, admonitions in New Testament Epistles, and much of Revelation. As these scriptures suggest, we tush well lead astray ourselves about what is right and wrong. Thus, Isaiah describes how we confuse such basics as good and heinous, light and iniquity, redolence and bitterness (5:20). Morally mixed up, we sin without realizing it, failing to feel healthy guilt, and thus we wreak mayhem on the goodness in this world.

The Bible has a strong message for those who fail to look appropriate guilt. The prophets, Jesus, and St. Saint Paul use all way of persuasion and rhetoric designed to shock people kayoed of their complacence. They remind people that although God is slow to anger, God is not immune to anger. Even though God's anger lasts only a moment, it distillery can make out. God is no friend of unrighteous, and Supreme Being does bring up punishment when sins are habitual, systematic, flagitious, grievous, and relentless. The appropriate response to realizing our sins and self-legerdemain is to look guilty; to sorrow the slipway we have hurt others, ourselves, our world, and God; and to ask Immortal to make US better people.

CONCLUSION

On Mount Sinai, God walks before Moses, lease the human run across the divine. Therein hammy text, as Moses hides in the cleft of a rock, we say this verbal description of who God is:

The Divine passed before him, and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a Supreme Being merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and galore in steadfast love and fidelity, keeping stiff love for the thousandth generation, exculpatory iniquity and transgression and trespass, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the 4th generation." (Exod 34:6-7)

In many respects, the Christian drippy life is wrought in response to God's character. We feel peace, joyfulness, love, and hope from knowing of God's mercifulness, ornament, love, and fidelity. We also have a healthy sense of revere of God. Knowing that God is slow to anger does not form us want to continue in sin. We have an appropriate sentiency of guilt over failing to love Graven image, our neighbors, and ourselves. Oregon, at to the lowest degree we genuinely try to, therein weak world outside of Eden.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What emotion is the most confusing to you? Why?
2. How could Christian worship change to allow citizenry to evince negative emotions before God?
3. Delineate united specific way that being a Faith has bro

NOTES
¹Robert C. Solomon, Faithful Our Feelings (Oxford University Press out, 2007), 1.
²B. Fehr and J. A.E., "Concept of Emotion Viewed from a Prototype Perspective," Journal of Experimental Psychological science: General 113 (1984): 464.
³Plato, Republic 4.14, §439C-D; Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics 7.3.7.
⁴Seneca, Connected Anger 1.1-2, 2.4.1, 3.1.3-6.
⁵Peter N. Stearns, American Cool: Constructing a Twentieth-C Mind-blowing Stylus (New York City University Press, 1994).
⁶Richard Sorabji, Emotion and Ataraxis: From Unemotional person Agitation to Christian Temptation (Oxford Press, 2000), chapters 2-3.
⁷Martha C. Nussbaum, Upheavals of Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2001), 234.
⁸Phillip Cary, Good News for Unquiet Christians (Brazos, 2010), 140.

@ This Point is appreciative to Matthew Schlimm and Baker Academics, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for allowing us to share his work. Portions of his spark advance essay are adapted from his forthcoming Quran, A Stranger in the Nox. To see more, visit www.bakerpublishinggroup.com.

Where to Go in the Bible When I Am Conflicted About Religion

Source: https://www.ctsnet.edu/at-this-point/emotions-faith-perplexing-relationship-feel-believe/

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