“A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.” -- Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NASB)
Are you able to control intense feelings and emotions? Or — do they sometimes control you?
God created feelings and emotions as warning signals to tell us when something needs to be examined. They range from mild to intense, positive to negative. And, no matter their intensity or type, we must appreciate the insight they provide. When we take time to examine our feelings, we can value what is truly right and clearly wrong in our lives.
The Bible does not hide the emotions of its men and women. Just like us, they experienced a wide range of feelings, and depending on how they chose to manage those feelings, their choices often drove them toward success or calamity. In either case, there are valuable lessons to be learned from looking into their lives and into ours.
In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul took a good look inside himself to observe the struggles he faced as he worked hard to live a godly life. As he reflected on his feelings of inadequacy, Paul realized his great need of deliverance through Christ; therefore, he chose to daily surrender his wants, needs and desires to God. Like Paul, we too can learn a great deal about ourselves by looking inside to carefully observe our feelings so that we can base our choices on more logical thinking.
Emotions can distort our thoughts and lead us to make irrational decisions.
When we’re caught-up running on the gerbil wheel of life, it’s common to be guided by surface emotions and overlook the deeper, underlying feelings that are at the root of our joy and pain.
When I first began counseling, I simply didn’t understand the importance of digging deeper into the underlying emotions that were feeding the ups and downs in my life. I remember struggling to get below the surface of my anger, depression, and anxiety in order to unearth my real feelings. Anger, although acceptable (after all, even God gets angry), like all other surface feelings, is secondary. I had to take the time to uncover the feelings that were actually causing me to be angry, depressed, and anxious in order to expose my feelings of disappointment, rejection, and fear. That way, I could understand them better, express them more appropriately, and deal with them more effectively.
Secondary, surface feelings, like resentment, bitterness, and worry are typically easier to identify. In fact, it’s in this category of feelings we often get stuck and these feelings are generally the ones that cause us to say and do things we regret.
Reaching a place where we can uncover, identify, and actually feel our underlying primary feelings takes time. But it is a worthwhile process that can bring rewards of greater self-awareness and self-control.
Have you ever been asked, “What are you really feeling?”
This is often a much more difficult question to answer than it seems.
Below I’ve listed some negative primary and secondary emotions. Read through the lists and see if you can begin to identify the primary feelings that may be feeding your secondary, surface ones.
Easier to Identify Harder to Identify
Secondary Surface Feelings Underlying Primary Feelings
Angry Fear (many types)
Annoyed Embarrassed
Irritated Disappointed
Frustrated Helpless
Depressed Hopeless
Hate Lonely
Furious Rejected
Resentment Sad
Overwhelmed Trapped
Bitter Unforgiving
Paranoid Frustrated
Nervous Shameful
Insecure Guilty
Distrusting Hurt
Jealous Dissatisfied
Worried Neglected
Unhappy Alienated
Embarrassed Alone
