Part 2 – The Role of Emotions in Spiritual Growth

Emotions are some of God’s most misunderstood gifts. For many, feelings seem like dangerous waters—either ignored as untrustworthy or indulged until they drown us. The truth is, emotions are neither to be feared nor over-focused on. They are to be understood, redeemed, and offered to God as part of our whole selves. Emotions can also serve as a window to share about our inner selves with our closest relationships.

David in Psalms pours out joy, grief, anger, despair, and hope—all in prayer, all before the face of God. His raw honesty shows us that emotions are not obstacles to faith but invitations to deeper intimacy with the Lord. As C.S. Lewis once noted, the heart cannot be fully alive without its affections being ordered toward God.

Emotions as Signals, Not Masters

Feelings are real, but they are not ultimate. They function as signals, like dashboard lights in a car. Anger might reveal a boundary crossed or a past hurt unearthed. Fear may point to a place where we have deep insecurities. Sadness shows us where something precious has been lost. The problem comes when we confuse the signal for the driver—letting emotions dictate our choices rather than inform them.

As Dallas Willard put it, “Feelings live on the front row of our lives, but they make a terrible compass.” They can point us toward truth, but they cannot anchor us in it. That’s why Paul exhorts us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5), which includes the feelings tied to those thoughts.

The Discipline of Bringing Feelings to God

Spiritual maturity is not the absence of strong feelings but the habit of bringing them to God. Instead of suppressing anger or venting it destructively, we can lament honestly before the Lord. Instead of pretending fear doesn’t exist, we can confess it and receive His peace. Instead of numbing sadness, we can invite Christ—the Man of Sorrows—to sit with us in it.

In this way, emotions become a means of grace. They drive us to prayer, to community, to dependence on God. Our feelings, once surrendered, can be transformed into compassion, courage, and worship.

The Invitation

Rather than being suspicious of your feelings or enslaved by them, see them as part of the conversation God is already having with you. Your emotions are not an enemy to faith but a doorway to deeper healing. Jesus Himself wept, rejoiced, and grew angry, and was troubled in spirit. To walk with Him is to learn how to feel with Him.

Questions for reflection;

1. How do you personally tend to handle emotions—by suppressing them, indulging them, or inviting God into them?

2. In what ways might your strongest recurring emotions be signaling areas where God wants to bring growth or healing?

3. How could you practice the discipline of praying through your emotions this week, like David did in the Psalms?