EMOTION vs. EMOTIONALISM
To emote or not to emote, that is the question……………….and the reason for the confusion.
Many will decry the lack of emotion in a worship service and in the lives of Christians and others.
Others then will warn against emotionalism of any sort as they look down an any display of emotion.
Is there emotion without the display of emotionalism? I believe that there is.
There are emotions that have a scriptural role in the life of a Christian.
There is also a danger of the emotion becoming a form of emotionalism, or fleshly attitude and conduct.
How then can a person know the difference and have one without the other?
Let us consider the extremes.
Emotionalism….
Tends to become that better felt than told occurrence, where people tend to depend more upon what they feel in their hearts, rather than what they read in the word of God.
Such emotionalism tends to disobey the scriptural admonition of worship conducted in a decent and orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:40)
It leads the participant to overlook the warning of Proverbs 28:26 “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool…”
Formalism…
In which there is a complete lack of emotion in worship and in service.
Perhaps the lack of emotion then is a reaction against emotionalism, which results in a “dead pan” attitude
Often causes those who lead songs and preach to do so with little reaction by those who should be engaged.
Such lack of “heartfelt” religion is contrary to the teachings of Jesus
Condemning a religion in which ones heart is far removed far from Him (Matthew 15:7-8)
Condemning a love for God that involves the whole heart (Matthew 22:37-40)
The tendency of formalism is to swing from one extreme to another, yet can be avoided by remembering…
Emotion has a proper place…
There is to be the emotion of love (1 Peter 4:8, 1 Corinthians 16:22)
There is to be the emotion of hope (Romans 12:12)
There is to be the emotion of joy (Philippians 4:4)
There is to be the emotion of sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10)
There is to be the emotion of hate (Proverbs 8:13)
There is to be the emotion of fear (Matthew 10:28)
In the life of all Christians there is a place for emotion!
Emotion must be grounded in the word of God…
Scriptural faith comes by hearing the word of God
Scriptural faith requires the use of our intellectual faculties
Take notice how the Word of God is designed to stimulate emotion:
Reading of Gods love we should be moved to love (1 John 4:11)
Told of the promises awaiting us, we are motivated to hope (1 Peter 1:3-4,and 13)
Informed of Jesus reconciling work of the cross, we are moved to rejoice (Romans 5:10-11)
When rebuked by the Word, it will produce sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:8)
Filled with the knowledge of truth, we come to hate certain things (Proverbs 1:7, and ch8:13)
Reading of the warnings in scripture, we are moved to fear (Hebrews 10:25-27)
Scriptural emotions are directed by the Word of God, and are not a matter of flesh
Emotion must produce fruit…
Scriptural emotions must produce fruit
The emotions evoked by Scripture are there for a purpose
Unless the proper fruit is born, it is simply emotionalism
The fruits born of purposeful emotion are evidenced in the fact the following
The emotion of love bears the fruit of obedience (John 14:15 1 John 5:3)
The emotion of hope bears its fruit in act of patience (Romans 8:24-25)
The emotion of joys bears the fruit of sacrifice (2 Corinthians 8:25)
The emotion of sorrow bears the fruit of repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10)
The emotion of hate bears fruit in rejecting the spirit of error (Psalms 119:127-128)
The emotion of fear will bear the fruit of departing from evil (Proverbs 16:6)
According to the Scriptures then, emotion produces active, living, visible fruits in the life of Christians
Formalism can be avoided by a conscious choice to understand the difference between worship based upon rote, and worship under the guidance of spirit and truth.
When does emotion become emotionalism?
When people stress emotion for emotions sake alone,
Whenever people forget that emotions are a means to an end, to motivate one to produce proper fruit.
The goal should never be the emotion, but the fruit they are intended to produce.
If all we display is emotion, not bearing the proper fruit, then we are guilty of emotionalism.
If our emotions are based upon anything other than the Word of God, we are guilty of emotionalism.
Emotion becomes emotionalism, when the emotion becomes the basis for our faith…
Whenever we allow feelings alone to dictate what we believe
Such as when a person…
Refuses to obey what can be read in Scripture, only because he “feels” that it should be different.
Tries to change the meaning of a passage of Scripture to support what he “feels” is right.
If our faith is based upon emotions, we are guilty of emotionalism.
God has given each of us the wonderful gift of the capacity to feel and express our emotions,
And by doing so
It allows us to respond to the wonderful truths found in Gods Word
It motivates us to higher levels of service in response to Gods Will
However, like all good things, the capacity of emotion must be properly used
To avoid extremes, both of emotionalism and formalism…
To let our hearts be deeply moved by the Word of God
To allow our emotion to provoke us to bear the proper fruit God desires
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
What ? Me Worry? Pt two
Have you ever fully committed yourself to Gods safekeeping?
In order to conquer the human frailty of worry, we must do exactly that, as there is no plan and no method that can be successful for the Christian short of the full surrender to the knowledge of Gods will and plan for every area of you life.
Committing to Gods safekeeping requires that we grow in the knowledge of God and our love for Him.
The only way that we can truly accomplish that purpose is to study the Scriptures, pray and meditate upon Gods promises to His faithful people. (Romans 15:4)
We must be realistic.
True peace of mind does not depend on solving all the problems, righting all the wrongs, removing all of the imperfections, or in getting all that we want. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)
Some things just will not change and we need to be realistic enough to accept that.
There are real problems that have no solutions
There are situations that must simply be lived through
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook (Proverbs 19:11)
Realistic knowledge of our own limitations ought to cause us to relax and slow down
There is an art to getting things done and an equally noble art of leaving things undone.
The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials (Gladstone)
We must learn to let go of some problems and allow the Lord to be in charge of them (1 Peter 5:7, Proverbs 3:5-6)
Be flexible
Change is inevitable: we must learn to be resilient, adaptable, adjustable (Philippians 4:11-12)
Under stress, if we cannot learn to bend, we will surely break.
Our faith must remain only in Him who changes not.
While there are some things that we must resist without compromise, wisdom can tell us when to change and when to hold our ground.
Focus on the good cares, and minimize the unnecessary ones.
We tend to become distracted by many relatively unimportant cares, and don’t care enough about the things we should. (Matthew 13:22)
Whenever the mind is distracted by many pursuits, it derives little benefit from any of them.
Really only one thing is necessary (Luke 10:41-42, Matthew 6:33-34)
Learn to live one day at a time.
Proper use of today diminishes anxiety about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34)
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its worries and sorrows, it only empties today of its victory’s
Worry is the interest that is charged against troubles before they are eliminated
The larger part of our fear will turn out to be unfounded
Winston Churchill was credited with saying “I have had a lot of trouble in this life, most of which never happened.”
Stay busy
Anxiety and idleness accompany each other
Despair often is a form of laziness
Blessed is the person who is too busy in the daytime to fret, and too sleepy in the nighttime to worry.
Much good can be done, even in adversity, if we will only concentrate on the things that can be accomplished, and disregard the things that cannot be done.
There is no tranquilizer as effective as the knowledge that we have done our best and there is no pillow as soft as a good conscience.
Learn to be content.
Contentment is a lesson that Paul had to learn (Philippians 4:11-13)
We should learn to rejoice in the Lord, which we can easily do when we learn to continually count our blessings. (Philippians 4:4-6)
The Christian should be able to see the silver lining behind the darkest cloud.
When discontent is the rule in a life, that Christian may lose his very soul because of it.(1 Timothy 6:6-8, Hebrews 13:5-6)
Anxiety can come because of having too much, as well as having too little (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
Wealth can be measured in ways other than possessions, it can also be seen in the things that we can do without.
Whenever problem cause anxiety in us , the best thing that we can do to bathe the problems is to express a spirit of reverence and gratitude.
In all of our anxiety and cares the Christian is given the means to deal with all of it.
We are promised a peace that comes only through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7)
We are promised a reassuring confidence that can only be found in trusting in God (Psalms 23:1-6)
Whenever the feelings of insecurity, helplessness and isolation arise, we should……
Focus on trusting in the God who loves us
Read and remember the Scriptures, be realistic, be flexible, focus on the good, minimize unnecessary distractions, and learn to live one day at a time, staying busy and learning to be content.
Have you ever fully committed yourself to Gods safekeeping?
In order to conquer the human frailty of worry, we must do exactly that, as there is no plan and no method that can be successful for the Christian short of the full surrender to the knowledge of Gods will and plan for every area of you life.
Committing to Gods safekeeping requires that we grow in the knowledge of God and our love for Him.
The only way that we can truly accomplish that purpose is to study the Scriptures, pray and meditate upon Gods promises to His faithful people. (Romans 15:4)
We must be realistic.
True peace of mind does not depend on solving all the problems, righting all the wrongs, removing all of the imperfections, or in getting all that we want. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)
Some things just will not change and we need to be realistic enough to accept that.
There are real problems that have no solutions
There are situations that must simply be lived through
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook (Proverbs 19:11)
Realistic knowledge of our own limitations ought to cause us to relax and slow down
There is an art to getting things done and an equally noble art of leaving things undone.
The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials (Gladstone)
We must learn to let go of some problems and allow the Lord to be in charge of them (1 Peter 5:7, Proverbs 3:5-6)
Be flexible
Change is inevitable: we must learn to be resilient, adaptable, adjustable (Philippians 4:11-12)
Under stress, if we cannot learn to bend, we will surely break.
Our faith must remain only in Him who changes not.
While there are some things that we must resist without compromise, wisdom can tell us when to change and when to hold our ground.
Focus on the good cares, and minimize the unnecessary ones.
We tend to become distracted by many relatively unimportant cares, and don’t care enough about the things we should. (Matthew 13:22)
Whenever the mind is distracted by many pursuits, it derives little benefit from any of them.
Really only one thing is necessary (Luke 10:41-42, Matthew 6:33-34)
Learn to live one day at a time.
Proper use of today diminishes anxiety about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34)
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its worries and sorrows, it only empties today of its victory’s
Worry is the interest that is charged against troubles before they are eliminated
The larger part of our fear will turn out to be unfounded
Winston Churchill was credited with saying “I have had a lot of trouble in this life, most of which never happened.”
Stay busy
Anxiety and idleness accompany each other
Despair often is a form of laziness
Blessed is the person who is too busy in the daytime to fret, and too sleepy in the nighttime to worry.
Much good can be done, even in adversity, if we will only concentrate on the things that can be accomplished, and disregard the things that cannot be done.
There is no tranquilizer as effective as the knowledge that we have done our best and there is no pillow as soft as a good conscience.
Learn to be content.
Contentment is a lesson that Paul had to learn (Philippians 4:11-13)
We should learn to rejoice in the Lord, which we can easily do when we learn to continually count our blessings. (Philippians 4:4-6)
The Christian should be able to see the silver lining behind the darkest cloud.
When discontent is the rule in a life, that Christian may lose his very soul because of it.(1 Timothy 6:6-8, Hebrews 13:5-6)
Anxiety can come because of having too much, as well as having too little (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
Wealth can be measured in ways other than possessions, it can also be seen in the things that we can do without.
Whenever problem cause anxiety in us , the best thing that we can do to bathe the problems is to express a spirit of reverence and gratitude.
In all of our anxiety and cares the Christian is given the means to deal with all of it.
We are promised a peace that comes only through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7)
We are promised a reassuring confidence that can only be found in trusting in God (Psalms 23:1-6)
Whenever the feelings of insecurity, helplessness and isolation arise, we should……
Focus on trusting in the God who loves us
Read and remember the Scriptures, be realistic, be flexible, focus on the good, minimize unnecessary distractions, and learn to live one day at a time, staying busy and learning to be content.
Monday, March 9, 2009
WHAT? ME WORRY? Pt one
We can attribute that statement to a once popular social commentary comedic character, named A.E Nueman, a 53 year old icon that is familiar to most of us.
Laying aside the satire that he popularized, we can say also, What , me worry?
We are all too familiar with the problem of anxiety, and the epidemic proportion that it is reaching in our culture.
Even though the problem is prevalent, the matter of anxiety is the least productive activity that a human can undertake.
Worrying is equivalent to the movie cowboy making a fast getaway on wooden horse.
Your imagination may see it to be a valid tool, but there is no good that can come of the wasted effort.
What then is this thing that we call anxiety?
It is manifest in the matter of distress about future uncertainties.
It may be characterized by mental agitation and uneasiness, that may be mild or severe.
We allow anxiety to arise in our minds when we feel unsure or uncertain of future events, either distant or near, and our fear that we have no certainty in their outcome.
What is the cause of all this anxiety?
It can be caused by real or imagined threats to our wellbeing, as we feel vulnerable and inadequately protected against the possibility of those events being played out.
Threats in the manner of social rejection, physical injury, disease, family turmoil, death, and the reality of an impending financial collapse, in our generation.
There are three main elements to examine,
Insecurity: worry that something bad is going to happen
Helplessness: worry that there is nothing that I can do
Isolation: worry that there will be no one who will help me
These three causes may operate individually or in various combinations, all to the detriment of their victim.
In the emotional realm, these identifiers cause just as much anxiety and hopelessness as if they were real and not just imagined.
When we realize that anxiety is a form of fear then we are coming ever closer to overcoming the problem.
In order to do that we must first
Trust in God
The best remedy is to deal with the problems causes, and not just the symptoms.
We must identify the truth about insecurity, helplessness, and isolation in regards to the Christian.
Even though the Christian may feel insecure, the reality is that he is very secure Proverbs 3:21-26 and Hebrews 4:16
The Christian may feel helpless, yet the reality is that he has great help Romans 8:31
The Christian may feel that he is all alone yet the truth is that God is always at his side Hebrews 13:5-6
The only remedy for a Christians anxiety is a complete trust and confidence in Gods ability to deal with anything that threatens His own Isaiah 40:31 John 14:1 Philippians 4:13
The more that we learn of God the more we know of His infinite power and of His concern for us 1 Peter 5:6-7
Our God has promised peace of mind to those who are willing to commit all of their worries to Him John 16:33 Philippians 4:6-7 Peter 4:19
He is a God that cannot fail, and in that we can trust.
We can attribute that statement to a once popular social commentary comedic character, named A.E Nueman, a 53 year old icon that is familiar to most of us.
Laying aside the satire that he popularized, we can say also, What , me worry?
We are all too familiar with the problem of anxiety, and the epidemic proportion that it is reaching in our culture.
Even though the problem is prevalent, the matter of anxiety is the least productive activity that a human can undertake.
Worrying is equivalent to the movie cowboy making a fast getaway on wooden horse.
Your imagination may see it to be a valid tool, but there is no good that can come of the wasted effort.
What then is this thing that we call anxiety?
It is manifest in the matter of distress about future uncertainties.
It may be characterized by mental agitation and uneasiness, that may be mild or severe.
We allow anxiety to arise in our minds when we feel unsure or uncertain of future events, either distant or near, and our fear that we have no certainty in their outcome.
What is the cause of all this anxiety?
It can be caused by real or imagined threats to our wellbeing, as we feel vulnerable and inadequately protected against the possibility of those events being played out.
Threats in the manner of social rejection, physical injury, disease, family turmoil, death, and the reality of an impending financial collapse, in our generation.
There are three main elements to examine,
Insecurity: worry that something bad is going to happen
Helplessness: worry that there is nothing that I can do
Isolation: worry that there will be no one who will help me
These three causes may operate individually or in various combinations, all to the detriment of their victim.
In the emotional realm, these identifiers cause just as much anxiety and hopelessness as if they were real and not just imagined.
When we realize that anxiety is a form of fear then we are coming ever closer to overcoming the problem.
In order to do that we must first
Trust in God
The best remedy is to deal with the problems causes, and not just the symptoms.
We must identify the truth about insecurity, helplessness, and isolation in regards to the Christian.
Even though the Christian may feel insecure, the reality is that he is very secure Proverbs 3:21-26 and Hebrews 4:16
The Christian may feel helpless, yet the reality is that he has great help Romans 8:31
The Christian may feel that he is all alone yet the truth is that God is always at his side Hebrews 13:5-6
The only remedy for a Christians anxiety is a complete trust and confidence in Gods ability to deal with anything that threatens His own Isaiah 40:31 John 14:1 Philippians 4:13
The more that we learn of God the more we know of His infinite power and of His concern for us 1 Peter 5:6-7
Our God has promised peace of mind to those who are willing to commit all of their worries to Him John 16:33 Philippians 4:6-7 Peter 4:19
He is a God that cannot fail, and in that we can trust.
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