John 11:35-36 (ISV) Jesus burst into tears. So the Jewish leaders said, “See how much he loved him!”
Did you ever get those mental images of a spiritual man painted and shaped over time by certain books and movies? The one in which the spiritual man is always stoic, walks in a deliberate measured step, could literally never hurt a fly even if he steps on it, maintains an even mien even in the face of news of great joy or sorrow, whose face never betrays any emotions. His general appearance makes one believe that frowns are godly and smiles carnal and frivolous. Leaving an impression that emotions and such things are worldly and not for the godly man.
Well, God created emotions, He designed sexual pleasure and gave us free will. These things have never been the problem but their use and abuse. Emotions are tools for expressing our feelings, and they are not evil and of the devil. Jesus is our perfect example, in his life here on earth, he was for us an example of God’s ideal man.
Jesus went to a house of mourning of his friend Lazarus and burst into tears (See John 11:35), this didn’t diminish in any way his spirituality. One thing we must pay attention to is the right usage of our emotions.
Emotions were never designed by God to lead us; they are supposed to follow. A believer must be led by God through his Word and the Holy Spirit (See Psalms 119:33, Romans 8:14). So, it is okay for a believer to feel pain and cry, a lover of Jesus is allowed to be in love with a Sister, a spiritual brother can laugh and generally display emotions of displeasure or delight just like anybody else, however, there are areas where the defining lines become very prominent.
The believer trains his heart (soul) to delight in only the things that are wholesome. There are jokes that one can find funny, but because they are unwholesome, the believer must train his emotion to react in accordance with God’s laws and precepts. For example, jokes that trivialize and treat as common things that God has called sacred cannot be joke material for a believer, he will rather frown upon them, or simply be unmoved by them. Even when we sorrow, the Bible teaches that we do not sorrow as though we have no hope.
Again, the believer must train himself to always act in line with the word EVEN in the midst of strong emotions. What do you do when you are hurt, pained, heartbroken, excited, delighted, or full of joy? Some persons hurt others when they are hurt because that is the natural reaction of our emotions. But not so for the believer. He can be hurt but must not hurt others as a result, because he does not repay evil for evil (See Romans 12:14). He does not propose just because he is ‘smitten by love’, nor does he make promises merely as a result of great excitement. Rather, his actions are well thought out and guided by godly counsels, the word, and prayers.
Go into today allowing the Spirit of God to transform you by the word and to release you into all the fullness of God.—Ikechukwu Mpama
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