RECORD MY MISERY; LIST MY TEARS ON YOUR SCROLL—ARE THEY NOT IN YOUR RECORD? - PSALM 56:8
"Calm down! I can't deal with you when you're like this!" Countless women have had their ideas, frustrations, and valid criticisms dismissed because they were presented in a way that was "too emotional." Her argument may be rock-solid, but given in the presence of tears? Invalid. Many women feel forced to swallow their feelings so that others will take them seriously.
Emotions are neither inherently bad nor an unavoidable inconvenience. They are a gift. Since God created us to reflect His attributes, we have emotions because He has them. In the Gospels, Jesus had a broad range of strong emotion. He cried with the mourners at a dear friend's death (John 11), celebrated in a wedding's joy (John 2), flipped over tables in righteous anger (Matthew21:12-13), and approached society's outcasts with compassion (Luke17:11-19). Because He is the Son of God, He displayed His emotions without sin. Emotions aren't the problem; sinful attitudes that twist our emotional responses are.
Sin affects our emotions, but women are not irrational because they show strong emotion or because they may have difficulty showing emotion. The Creator does not dismiss our tears or our anger. He takes us seriously regardless of our emotional state, inviting us to bring all of our burdens to Him. His love is the same, whether we are at our emotional best or worst.
Let's pray:
Father God, let Your Spirit bring peace into my heart, trusting Him to help me sort out my emotions and react to events in ways that are pleasing to You. Amen.
