Embracing the Emotional

I want to open this up just by asking: have you ever felt the weight of anxiety just pressing down on your chest, suffocating you and leaving you gasping for air? Have you found yourself consumed by the fear of rejection, embarrassment, or even death itself? If so, me too like more often than not especially in social settings, so you’re not alone. Many of us, especially navigating life as young Christians, struggle with these emotions on a daily basis.

But what if I told you that there’s a transformative power within us, a power that is able to break the shackles of fear and breathe new life into our souls to be strengthened? I want to invite us to explore a deeper understanding of our emotions – it transcends basic physical ideas and taps into the essence of our humanity.

Imagine this: You’re a young adult in college navigating the stress of relationships, dealing with the fear of rejection with every step you take. Perhaps you finally get the courage to ask someone out on a date or put yourself out there for a specific person you have a crush on, only to be met with silence or rejection. And in that moment, the embarrassment threatens to take you over, with the enemy whispering lies about your worth and desirability.

But what if you were able to gather the power of the emotions inside of you? What if you were to view rejection, embarrassment, or any other vulnerable feeling not as a verdict on your worth, but as a natural part of the human experience – an opportunity for growth and self-discovery? Our emotions are not about avoiding pain or discomfort but embracing the full spectrum of our emotions, including vulnerability and rejection, and allowing yourself to feel it.

And I know, allowing yourself to feel pain is scary and vulnerable. For me, I can hate being alone with my own thoughts and feelings and just want to drown it out with music, binge-watching YouTube, etc. I was often taught growing up to suppress my desires and emotions because I felt like I wasn’t given the space to fully make mistakes, learn, and grow without criticism or acknowledgment. It can be hard to communicate vulnerably without having anxiety, doubts , fear, insecurities, etc. However, I was challenged by the podcast and my recent quiet times to reclaim the so-called “erotic” as a force that connects me to my divine essence through God. Just as God breathed life into Adam, giving him the spark of the divine (Genesis 2:7), God also does the same to us, allowing the emotions to awaken us to the richness of our humanity.

Consider how King David expressed his full range of emotions, from joy to despair, in Psalms. He did not hide his feelings from God but brought them before Him honestly (Psalm 42:5-6). This transparency is a key part of connecting deeply with our humanity and with God.

I did this one Bible plan about emotions, and the devotional on doubt really showed me what true intimacy and vulnerability with God looks like. It’s not about saying you trust Him when you don’t or promising to repent while still harboring doubts. It’s about being honest and open with God about your feelings, like saying, “God, I really don’t want to talk to You right now,” or “I don’t understand why You allowed this.” This can seem scary or weird or too real, but that’s the key. This honesty allows God to work in your heart and open it up to His whole healing and guidance, and for our hearts to be searched to strengthen our faith even more.

So, how do we cultivate this emotional energy (thinking of emotional in its biblical meaning where we harbor self-control and still feel, not the negative meaning the world gives it) in our daily lives? It begins with a willingness to embrace our desires and vulnerabilities, to be able to connect with the unknown and surrender to the different flows of life. Instead of running from the uncomfortable situations and emotions in our life, we can choose to lean into these experiences, recognizing them as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

We can also look to the example of Jesus, who embraced His humanity fully. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He expressed His deep anguish and fear, yet submitted to God’s will (Matthew 26:38-39). This act of embracing His vulnerability is a powerful example for us.

Additionally, we can cultivate a sense of emotional connection in our relationships – one where we engage with each other on a deep and connective level. Whether it’s through meaningful conversations, acts of kindness, or moments of shared laughter, we can have our interactions be with a sense of passion that allows us to embrace God’s design for us to deny ourselves and pick up our crosses daily in discipleship (Luke 9:23).

In doing so, we also honor the sacredness of our humanity in God and affirm our connection with one another and with Christ. We can no longer fear failure to the point where we avoid it, but we can understand that fear is just a fleeting shadow in the grand scheme of life that will always be there because we are merely just human. Instead, we embrace all emotions as a powerful antidote to death – a force that allows us to move forward on our journey toward wholeness and fulfillment.

Consider the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, my first attempt is to delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So, to all of you beautiful people out there, I invite you join me on the journey to embrace our emotions – to shed the chains of fear and surrender to the endless possibilities that await us. For in the words of Jesus in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Embracing the fullness of life, including our desires and vulnerabilities, can lead us to a deeper connection with God and each other. And that’s a beautiful thing.