Are Emotions Good or Bad?

There are still some in our culture who say that emotions are bad. “They get in the way of true, intellectual rationality. They cloud our judgment.” Think of Spock from Star Trek, who always sought to be the logical one rather than the emotional one. He sees logic as the opposite of emotion. But in our culture today, I think the dominant voice says that emotions are ultimate. “If it feels good, do it.” “Trust your subjective feelings because they are the measure of truth!” Think Obi-wan Kenobi from Star Wars: “Luke, trust your feelings!” That’s the message we hear over and over again in modern America.

But what does the Bible say about emotions? On the one hand, it affirms that God created emotions; they are part of his good design. But on the other hand, emotions can be distorted and broken in a sinful world. We can’t always trust our feelings.

So, where do we look for a model of true, God-honoring emotion? Jesus came into the world and took on himself a true human nature. According to the New Testament, Jesus had a vibrant emotional life. He wasn’t Spock who was free of all emotion. He wasn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi who thought that feelings are everything. Instead, as truly human, he felt deeply and loved deeply without being ruled or controlled by his emotions.

So, this Christmas season, let’s take time to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And as we do, we’ll discover the full-orbed picture of Christ’s emotional life. He felt compassion; he felt anger; he felt sorrow; he felt joy; he felt the full range of human emotion, yet without sin. And his emotional life teaches us important lessons about what it means to feel, love, and serve today as well. By God’s grace, may the Spirit of God shape our emotions to reflect the pattern of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us.