06/02/2026
Human beings were made to express emotion. Emotion is a good and healthy part of what it means to be made in the image of God. God emotes, therefore, the creatures made in His likeness emote. This is the foundational principle that ought to govern all human emotions. The implication of this simple principle is this: some feelings are right, and others are wrong. Believe it or not, it can be sin, to feel certain emotions, and sin not to feel other emotions. When God says He hates something, it would be sin to love that very thing, and if God loves something, it would be sin to hate what God loves. Or when God is angry at an injustice, indifference to that same injustice would also be sin. One author said it like this, “People were made to find joy in what delights God, be disgusted by what disgusts God, and be saddened by what grieves God.” When the Fall of man occurred, sin corrupted the human heart and hindered all human beings from feeling the right thing, at the right time. So, our hearts are now inclined to find joy in what God hates and be disgusted by what God says is good. Now, I know… calling a “feeling” sin, is blasphemy to a culture like ours that validates all feelings as “right” and equally true. Not all feelings are “right.” Some are false feelings, invalid due to a wrong value system. So, what is the Christian response when someone has feelings based on values that don’t match God’s? It’s quite simple really; a Christian should acknowledge someone’s feelings as “real” without validating them as “right.” When Martha was agitated with her sister Mary for sitting at the feet of Jesus rather than helping her serve the food to their guests, Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42). Jesus assures Martha that although anxiety has not gone unnoticed, her feelings are based on the wrong values. He acknowledged Martha’s feelings as “real” but rebuked them as “wrong.” Mary chose the better value at that time (spending time with Jesus), and her feelings were right because they aligned with the value system of God.
Our emotions are directly related to the things we value, and when what we value fails to align with the values of God, our feelings can and will be false. So, study the feelings of Jesus – be angry at what angers Him, be grieved by what grieves Him, and enjoy what makes Him rejoice!
Satisfied in Him,
Pastor Luke
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