Just a quick note to achieve full understanding and application from every post. I want to spend a minute clarifying some terminology on emotions verses heart postures and, the reasoning behind placing “positive” verses “negative” in quotations in regards to our emotions.

In reading the Bible, most people would be quick to describe God’s teachings as simply choosing “positive” verses “negative” emotions. However, this is not actually accurate. Jesus’ specifically teaches us to choose the Spirit or Will of the Father which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control, compassion, thanksgiving, and forgiveness. For this reason, although there is some overlap, generally, when we write about emotions, we are referring to what we feel and, when we write about heart postures, we are referring to what we choose to follow in our heart/mind. This discrepancy is to help clarify that when we walk by the Spirit or Will of God, it is not based on an emotion or feeling but on making a choice to follow a specific heart posture in accordance with His Will. (Of note, both emotions and heart postures occur simultaneously with thoughts, derived from the conscious or subconscious. Therefore, references to thoughts/emotions or thoughts/heart postures is indicating this connection.)

You may notice throughout posts, “positive” or “negative,” placed in quotations. This reason for this is, according to our daily terminology, “positive” and “negative” gives the connotation that something is good and bad, respectively. For this reason and the simplicity of understanding that goes along with it, I continue to utilize these terms. However, they are placed in quotations because there is more to this story when it comes to our emotions, especially when looking at them through God’s perspective.

Although it is absolutely true that all of creation, including our emotions have a purpose (“The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble” Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬) and that purpose is to “work for our good” (Romans 8: 28 NIV), it might not be as obvious and direct at face value. For instance, “negative” emotions true purpose is to alarm us of when to turn to God in faith. They are the innate alarms, if you will, to start activating our faith to boldly turn to God for His provision, guidance, protection, faithfulness, and love. But, with our “negative” emotions, instead of being used as alarms to activate faith in turning to God, the devil has deceived us in following them and letting them control us, be our guides, and, therefore, also, become our gods, leading us to unnoticed idolatry.

In the same vain, our “positive” emotions might be viewed at as “always being a good thing.” However, sometimes we get deceived in thinking that as long as something feels good, ie. experience a “positive” emotion, it is “positive,” or right for us. Now, this might make sense in regards to someone taking illegal drugs and feeling initial consequential bliss or happiness from it but then being destroyed by it, but, often times, deception from our “positive” emotions occur more subtly. Sometimes we feel “positive” emotions when we tell someone off. Sometimes we feel “positive” emotions when we work out for hours or restrict our eating to be thin and accepted by others. Sometimes we feel “positive” emotions when we buy material goods. Most people (including you) may not even see the problem in these scenerios, but the simpliest answer I can give is that they are not in alignment with what Jesus taught us. For instance, God has told us fight evil with good because He knows fighting evil with evil causes evil to grow. God has called us masterpieces and beautiful so why do we see ourselves as any less than that. God has given us complete joy so why do we need to find it in something or someone else. As you can see, these feelings of “positive” emotions were actually not “positive” but a way the devil uses our feelings to deceive us and pull us away from God, His Will, and, consequently, our spiritual AND PHYSICAL freedom!

As you can see, to say something is “positive” or “negative” can be deceiving especially when it apply’s to God’s Word. And this is why I wanted to take sometime to explain this. Throughout these essays (and others), I may write positive or negative in quotations and this is the reason behind it. For simplicity’s sake, it is easiest to write “positive” or “negative” when referring to thoughts/heart postures/emotions but, please understand, I am not indicating they are good or bad but using terminology that would make it easiest to understand what is being explained.