The Bible on Emotion
God created humans in His image, and He said His creation was “very good” (Genesis 1:27, 31). Included in our God-given nature is the gift of a wide variety of emotions, from clearly positive ones such as love and compassion to others that may at first seem negative (sadness, sorrow and grief, for instance). But each one has its season, as we’re told in Ecclesiastes: “There is a time for everything, . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4).
We see emotions on display in the accounts of every major biblical figure, including Jesus. Following are 15 scriptures highlighting some of the many that we, like our biblical forebears, may experience:
1.
“I said to the king, . . . ‘Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’”
(Nehemiah 2:3, New International Version)
2.
“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”
(Psalm 6:6, NIV)
3.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
(Psalm 34:18, NIV)
4.
“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.”
(Psalm 31:9, NIV)
5.
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
(Psalm 145:8–9, NIV)
6.
“Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief.”
(Proverbs 14:13, NIV)
7.
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
(Isaiah 53:3a, English Standard Version)
8.
“The Lord your God . . . will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
(Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)
9.
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
(Matthew 14:14, NIV)
10.
“He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.”
(Mark 3:5, NIV)
11.
“Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
(Luke 22:44, NIV)
12.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16, NIV)
13.
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.”
(John 12:27, NIV)
14.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
(John 15:9, NIV)
15.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
(Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)