Walking With Christ

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 (2)It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. (3)Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. (4)The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.(ESV)

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Emotions are to the mind what the immune system is to the body. It’s a defense system that can cause certain responses to stimuli. If the immune system perceives a foreign object in the body then there will be a response that is meant to protect the system. This response can get out of control and actually do harm to the body. Emotions are the same in that each emotion we feel is meaningful and meant to protect the mind. There can be and often is a physical response to these emotions. The emotion is a chemical reaction that the body interprets. These emotions can cause us to remember some parts of our life better, worse, or even not at all to protect ourselves.

The most common focus I see these days is how to handle the negative emotions such as anger, depression, etc. and how to overcome the impact these can have on our lives. But what about the impact that positive emotions can have? Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to these positive emotions?

Sure there is. Joy and celebration are wonderful things and should be sought out at every opportunity. The problem can be that a constant pursuit of pleasure while ignoring life’s sobering realities is unhealthy. Joy is a great and wonderful gift from God, but overindulging in celebration without regard for God’s purpose or plan is simply unwise. Joy must be tempered with humility and perspective (Luke 12:19-20).

Gratitude shouldn’t lead to pride or complacency. We are called to be grateful, but when that gratitude is focused on personal achievements rather than God, it can shift into pride. We need to remember that God is the source of all good things and know that gratitude should keep us humble and not lead us to take undue credit for our blessings (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Expressing gratitude without acknowledging God’s sovereignty can lead to a sense of self-sufficiency and overconfidence in our own plans. Gratitude should always recognize God’s control over our lives (James 4:13-16).

Love should never lead towards or become idolatry or possessiveness. Love is good and God is love. However, misplaced or excessive love for self or others, especially over our love of God, can become idolatry. Love for God must always come first and our love for ourself and others should flow out of that relationship (Matthew 10:37). Love does not have to be reserved for people. Love that is directed towards earthly things can lead to materialism and distraction from God. It’s fine to appreciate the blessings in our lives, we need to be careful that our love of things or people doesn’t replace our devotion to God (1 John 2:15). True love is selfless, balanced, generous, and pure. Love that becomes possessive, jealous, or controlling is inappropriate and should be avoided (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

Peace shouldn’t lead to complacency or avoidance (Matthew 5:9, Jeremiah 6:14) and contentment shouldn’t lead to stagnation or lack of ambition (Philippians 4:11-13, Proverbs 6:6-9).

The bible teaches that positive emotions are gifts from God, but they need to be balanced and appropriately expressed, in the right way and at the right time. These principles, easy to say but often more difficult to live with, help us to enjoy the positive emotions while remaining aligned with God’s purpose and allowing them to enrich our lives without leading us into dangerous areas that may ultimately lead to destruction.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, I speak joy and peace over all of you. I pray that God smile upon you, turn His face towards you, give you His blessing, show You His peace, to the building of your life for the glory of His kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.