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For years, I fancied myself as a master at suppressing my emotions.

No, I wasn’t cynical, nor was I incapable of feeling — emotions are as intrinsic to humanity as breath itself. Instead, I deliberately buried them, shoving them into the shadowed depths of my soul, locking them in an iron vault, and tossing the key into oblivion. Suppressing them seemed simpler than navigating their intensity, especially given my tendency to feel so profoundly. My method felt effective — at least, I thought it was — until those emotions erupted, breaking free with the relentless fury of a tidal wave, unstoppable, all-consuming, and often overwhelming.

By God’s grace, my perspective on emotions and their role in my life has matured like fine wine. I still wrestle at times with how to steward them wisely, but more than ever, I now see them as a beautiful gift from God. Emotions shine brightest when nurtured in a way that glorifies Him — rooted in His truth and character. Left unchecked, however, they can run wild, wreaking havoc. This tension brings us to a critical fork in the road: the beauty of God-given, God-glorifying emotions versus the self-destructive emotionalism of our age. What’s the difference? I’m glad you asked.

The Age of Emotionalism

As the Christian commentator Virgil Walker poignantly stated, “We’ve confused goosebumps with godliness. Emotional conviction without transformation is just a smoke machine in your soul.” Our culture’s obsession with emotionalism is perhaps most evident in the political realm. The “my truth” movement, for instance, elevates personal feelings above all else — above science, reason, and objective truth. When emotions become the foundation of one’s worldview, truth itself is cast aside. Why does this happen?

First, emotions are inherently fickle, ebbing and flowing like the tides. One moment, we’re soaring on cloud nine; the next, we’re plunged into despair — sometimes triggered by a major life event, other times by something as simple as a spilled coffee. Second, what we feel is not always grounded in reality. Often, we’re anxious, angry, or distraught over things we barely understand. In an era of advanced technology and rampant social media, people consume a daily deluge of manipulated, distorted, or outright false information — and many don’t pause to question it. The political sphere, with its charged rhetoric and tribal loyalties, is a breeding ground for this emotionalism.

Consider the slogans that dominate contentious issues. “My body, my choice” is often proclaimed by women gripped by fear over an unexpected pregnancy or by those who sidestep the reality of the human life growing within them — sometimes both. Similarly, “love is love” is a rallying cry for LGBT activism, often rooted in personal experiences of pain, neglect, or trauma. Many advocates have endured emotional or physical abuse, bullying, or rejection, leading them to question their worth. Others are driven by a pursuit of self-autonomy, a seductive but deceptive notion that we can define our own truth apart from God.

The reality is that we don’t have ultimate autonomy. Yes, we have free will to make choices, but we are ultimately subject to our Creator — His law, His commands, and His truth. We don’t get to do whatever we want or let our feelings take the driver’s seat. Emotions don’t exercise discernment. They don’t weigh consequences. They often blur the line between reality and illusion. Unchecked, they lead us to act in ways that are, more often than not, unfruitful and destructive.

This is why we must learn to feel while holding every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must experience emotions while remaining in control of our actions and reactions. A frightened expectant mother is entitled to her fear, but that doesn’t justify ending her child’s life. A sexually confused individual is allowed to wrestle with their feelings, but that doesn’t grant them the authority to redefine God’s design. The point is clear: we’re allowed to feel deeply, but we cannot let feelings dictate truth or morality.

So, where’s the balance?

A Beginner’s Guide to God-Glorifying Emotions

The first step for us to take is to acknowledge that emotions are a divine gift, woven into the fabric of our humanity by a Creator who Himself feels deeply — love, compassion, righteous anger, and even grief (John 11:35, Isaiah 53:3). The key is to steward these emotions in a way that honours God. This requires discernment, discipline, and dependence on His word and Spirit. It also requires being willing to admit when we’re wrong, or that we handled a situation poorly. It means we must acknowledge that sometimes we do give our emotions too much control, but that it’s not too late to surrender them to Christ.

If feeling in a God-glorifying way means embracing emotions without letting them rule us, then that means allowing ourselves to grieve, rejoice, or wrestle with doubt while anchoring our responses in Scripture. For example, fear is natural, but God’s word reminds us, “Do not fear, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10). Anger is real, but we’re called to “be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). Joy is a gift, but true joy is found in God’s presence, not fleeting circumstances (Psalm 16:11).

Practically, this looks like cultivating emotional maturity through prayer, reflection, and godly fellowship. When we feel overwhelmed, we can bring our emotions to God, trusting Him to guide us. As Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When we’re tempted to act impulsively, we can pause, seek wise counsel, and measure our feelings against the unchanging standard of God’s truth. This doesn’t mean suppressing emotions — it means redirecting them toward God’s purposes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us there’s a time for everything under the sun — a time to weep, laugh, mourn, dance, love, and hate. Anything you could possibly endure, Scripture is right there to guide you. Any path you could possibly take, our Lord holds your hand. Nothing is a surprise to this almighty God of the universe, and when we view our emotions in light of that, it becomes easier to experience them in a way that honors Him by trusting in His sovereignty and leaning into His care. In my experience, emotions are the most abused and destructive when we convince ourselves we’re on our own. It’s when the weight of the world appears to be on our shoulders that even a drop of emotion feels it could tip the scale.

Yet, dear reader, in those crushing moments, remember our King holds the galaxies in His palm. Nothing is too much for Him, and He invites us to lay our burdens at His feet.

In contrast to emotionalism, which idolises feelings as truth, God-glorifying emotions submit to His authority. When we steward our emotions in the way Scripture calls us to, they become a testimony to God’s transformative power. Because, in the end, emotions are not the enemy — they’re a gift. But like any gift, they must be used wisely. Our culture’s emotionalism tempts us to worship feelings, leading to chaos and confusion. In contrast, God invites us to feel deeply while rooting our hearts in His truth.

At this crossroads, let’s reject the fleeting goosebumps of emotionalism and choose the path of God-glorifying emotions — embracing the beauty of what He has given us while submitting every thought, feeling, and action to His perfect will. Lay your burdens at His feet, and let His truth transform your soul.

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Republished with thanks to The Washington Stand. Image courtesy of Unsplash.