Joy, sadness, anger, hatred, despair…
No human is immune to any of these feelings. Indeed, we experience the entire gamut of emotions, from anger to sadness, joy and relief, and everything in between.
Unfortunately, many of us are led my our emotions. When we get angry, we sometimes sin by engaging in unwholesome language. When we're depressed, sad, or blue, some of us turn to food, drugs, or alcohol to cope with those feelings.
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to Our likeness...'" (Genesis 1:26)
Our emotions and feelings are normal and natural because they come from God. Scripture shows God displaying a wide range of emotions. The difference between the Lord and ourselves is our emotions or feelings can lead us to sin, while God’s emotions or feelings are righteous and come from a place of love for His people.
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“The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees his day is coming.” (Psalm 37:12-13)
This verse shows that God laughs at the wicked. The same enemy who can fill our hearts with dread makes the Lord laugh. God isn't intimidated nor moved by the enemy. He sees the enemy from afar and knows what his end is going to be. Thus, the Lord can laugh because God knows the enemy's plans won't succeed.
Christians can take comfort in this verse and relax in the Lord. Just as the enemy's threats don't move God, we don't have to be moved by them either.
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“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
Mourning is a natural emotion. When Jesus received word that his friend, Lazarus, had died, He wept. Although Jesus knew He could raise Lazarus from the dead, He still mourned for His friend’s passing.
We mustn't be ashamed to mourn, cry, or grieve. The death of a loved one, even someone we don't know, will move us to tears and, in doing so, remind us of the tears Jesus shed for Lazarus. I cried when I heard about Kobe Bryant's death. I was never his fan, but I still mourned for him, his daughter, and the others who perished on that helicopter.
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“There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
It feels strange typing "God hates," yet the Bible declares there are things that God hates. God hates things that He knows are detrimental to the body of Christ. God knows the fruit of these things and wants us to keep them as far away from ourselves as possible.
When you and I hate, it’s usually because somebody did something to us or to someone we love. The hateful feelings we experience are closely tied to revenge. 1 John 3:15 teaches, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." We need to be careful about hating others.
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“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
God loves you, me, and unbelievers. God loves the entire world. Everything God has done and is doing is because He loves people and wants us to spend eternity with Him. Love is the greatest emotion and compels us to do beautiful things for others.
Do you love God? Do you love others? Can you love your enemies (see Matthew 5:44)? We should never run low on our supply of love. We should shower everyone with love because when we do so, we’re showering God on them (God is love, see 1 John 4:8).
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“The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever; the Lord shall rejoice in His works.” (Psalm 104:31)
God rejoices in His works. You and I are His works. The miracles He performs are His works. He rejoices over His creation and His people. He rejoices when we obey. He rejoices when someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
We should rejoice too, in God, His truth, His grace, mercy, favor, righteousness, and faithfulness. We should rejoice in all His works, even those we don’t understand. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
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“And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” (1 Kings 3:10)
The Lord told Solomon to ask Him for anything. God was pleased when Solomon asked for wisdom to discern between good and evil to judge God’s people. God was so pleased, He granted Solomon’s petition and also blessed him with riches and honor.
Feeling pleased is a natural emotion, one which we received from God. We should desire to please Him, and we should be pleased with Him.
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“And when the peopled complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” (Numbers 11:1)
Just as the Lord can be pleased, He can be displeased as well. Complaining displeases the Lord because it shows a lack of faith and trust in Him. He also dislikes complaining because it spreads and infects other people.
What displeases you? The same things that displease God should also displease us. We should desire to trust God and have faith in Him. We should also dislike complaining.
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“Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, ‘Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.’” (Exodus 4:14, see also Numbers 12:9)
God gets angry. The Old Testament is full of scriptures that show God displaying that emotion. However, God doesn’t get angry for shallow, unimportant matters. No, God is angered at sin, disobedience, and injustice.
Although we too experience anger, it’s usually in response to us not getting our way or because something unfair happened to us. Indeed, James 1:20 teaches, “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Although anger is a natural emotion for us, we need to be careful because anger can cause us to sin and displease God.
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“For you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14)
When I think about the word jealous, I think about a jealous spouse or friend. Spouses may feel jealous if their husband or wife shows an interest in another person. Or you can feel jealous when your best friend gets a new friend. We feel jealous when outsiders threaten our relationships.
Exodus 34:14 shines a light on God's jealousy. However, He never feels threatened. God is jealous for us because He knows where our fellowship or covenant with false gods can lead. He wants us to be consecrated to Him so that we aren't hurt or deceived. Thus, His jealousy is for our good.
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“And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:14)
Most of us feel pity for the less fortunate. However, how many of us feel compelled to alleviate their suffering? Compassion moves upon the pity it feels for others. Multiple verses in the Bible show Jesus being moved with compassion. When He saw the plight of others, He didn't say, "I feel sorry for you." Instead, He acted upon what He felt.
Christians should also act upon the compassion we feel for others. Whether it’s buying groceries for the less fortunate, visiting the sick and shut-in, or praying for someone who needs prayer, we need to be moved by compassion and act upon what we feel. Besides, “...faith without works is dead,” (James 2:26).
Yes, God has emotions and feelings. He experiences joy, gladness, anger, jealousy, and compassion like us. He understands our tears and our smiles. He understands when we get upset and angry. And because He does, we can rest assured that He understands when we become emotional. Don’t be ashamed of your emotions. Instead, go to God in prayer, laying our feelings and emotions at His feet. He cares for you and your feelings.
Aretha Grant serves her local church as a bible teacher and elder. She loves writing and is the author of Overcomer: 25 Keys to Walking Victoriously. Aretha resides in Hagerstown, MD with her husband and two youngest children. You can read Aretha’s blog at www.arethagrant.com.