Is God emotional?
Out of curiosity, I browsed around the internet and found this list of common human emotions, based on Plutchik's wheel of emotions:
Are these basic human emotions a reflection of God, evidence that we are made in his image? Here's what I found about God displaying emotions:
[Disclaimer: verses are out of context]
So while we can't say that God is emotional in the same way we'd say a teenager is emotional, and while we can't say God feels all of the same emotions we do, we can say that God is a God with emotions. We know that feeling things is not sinful but rather a reflection of how we are made in the image of God!
The danger we run into is when our emotions upend other things we know to be true - when we let our emotions rule us, it is then we cross over into sin.
An associated but opposite danger is not allowing ourselves to feel or express any emotion out of fear of being ruled by our feelings - this is not reflecting the image of an emotive God!
Something I think is so beautiful in this discussion is God's attention to our emotions; he is SO compassionate toward us, especially as we tend to feel like we are on emotional islands (why do we do that??). I think of Psalm 56:8 that says God puts our tears in his bottle and Revelation 21 (referenced earlier) when God says he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. God SEES, God CARES, God FEELS. One day, he will make everything right and we will be in perfect communion with him. I am so excited for that day and dwelling on it gives me comfort in the midst of a tumultuous life!
- Fear
- Anger
- Sadness
- Joy
- Disgust
- Trust
- Anticipation
- Surprise
Are these basic human emotions a reflection of God, evidence that we are made in his image? Here's what I found about God displaying emotions:
[Disclaimer: verses are out of context]
- Fear - could not find any instances of God feeling fear! (if you're sovereign and all-powerful, what would you have to fear?)
- Anger - "God is righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day." Psalm 7:11
- Sadness - "Jesus wept." John 11:35
- Joy - "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17
- Disgust - "I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies." Amos 5:21
- Trust - "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42
- Anticipation - Revelation 21 seems like a good place to go for this, although I don't know if looking forward to this incredible future is more MY anticipation than his!
- Surprise - could not find any instances of God feeling surprise (if you're sovereign and all-knowing, this would be impossible)
The danger we run into is when our emotions upend other things we know to be true - when we let our emotions rule us, it is then we cross over into sin.
An associated but opposite danger is not allowing ourselves to feel or express any emotion out of fear of being ruled by our feelings - this is not reflecting the image of an emotive God!
Something I think is so beautiful in this discussion is God's attention to our emotions; he is SO compassionate toward us, especially as we tend to feel like we are on emotional islands (why do we do that??). I think of Psalm 56:8 that says God puts our tears in his bottle and Revelation 21 (referenced earlier) when God says he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. God SEES, God CARES, God FEELS. One day, he will make everything right and we will be in perfect communion with him. I am so excited for that day and dwelling on it gives me comfort in the midst of a tumultuous life!
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