Sunday Sermons
Doubt and Unruly Emotions
Doubt and Unruly Emotions
In a previous lesson we discussed the various categories into which doubt can fall, such as doubting from a lack of growth, doubt that is caused by a faulty view of God, doubt resulting from a lack of commitment and doubt that arises when we fail to remember our former lost condition and present saved status. In this lesson I want to address two more evils that can create doubt: unruly emotions and the doubt that arises from old wounds or the fear to trust again.
“I know someone who is frankly afraid of flying. Several times I have heard well-meaning people trying to persuade her that it is much safer to fly in an airplane than to drive in a car. Perhaps one day someone might convince her, either by marshalling an impressive array of statistics and well-documented evidence…Their case might be convincing, even irrefutable. But I know she would still prefer to drive in a car. The strength of the rational argument would be no match for the power of the emotions. It’s one thing to think rationally in an airport lounge and another thing to feel rational on the runway…The problem is not that reason attacks faith but that the emotions overwhelm reason as well as faith” (In Two Minds, Os Guinness p. 153).
Faith and Reason
Faith and reason naturally go together. Faith is absolutely not result of unguided emotion, rather, faith is the result of viewing or hearing the evidence (Romans 10:17; Acts 17:2-3; 11). Yes, people can allow their emotions to trump faith, but let’s be clear— when emotions are allowed to overrule faith, they are likewise in that very moment, overruling reason and intelligent thinking. Such emotion would include an overactive imagination, changing moods, erratic feelings, intense reactions and a desire of instant pleasure.
Elijah: A Case Study
The story of Elijah is a good example of how exhaustion, loneliness, fear, failure, as well as bereavement, overwhelming tiredness and a long drawn out illness can make us more vulnerable to doubts. Clearly in the case of Elijah, he did not doubt the existence of God or His power, rather what he doubted was the effectiveness of his own preaching and the sincerity and faithfulness of others (1 Kings 19:14).
Noah and David a Case Study
In both Noah and David I see a similar pattern. Both men had been faithful for a number of years and had accomplished many things—huge things. Noah had been faithful during a wicked time and had been successful in building an ark and saving a remnant for life to continue on this planet. David had fought lion, bear, Goliath, Saul, the Philistines and captured Jerusalem. Yet both men had a definite moral let down after all the struggle was over (Genesis 9:21; 2 Samuel 11:1ff). Doubt can likewise enter when we are riding high. Let's be prepared for Satan's attack.
Emotions: How To Handle Them
Many people firmly believe we are simply at the mercy of our emotions. Good news. God says otherwise:
- Jesus specifically told us not to yield to fear: Luke 12:4-5
- God through Paul told us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ: 2 Corinthians 10:5
- Paul commanded us to “dwell” on specific very productive things such as things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable , and excellent (Philippians 4:8) A heart filled with this feast will have little room for mood swings or immense quantities of negative emotion.
- Timothy is told to resist the temptation to yield to timidity: 2 Timothy 1:7
- We need not carry our burdens alone. We are invited to give our worries or cares to an all powerful God who loves us wholly: 1 Peter 5:7
- Finally, Paul told us just because we experience anger, such does not mean we must sin: Ephesians 4:26
Application
The good news here is that I do not have to journey on the same old worn out emotional rollercoaster that too many others are continually riding. So many people feel they must go from bitterness or resentment, to self-pity, to anger, (which may even include anger at God) to angry outbursts, bitter arguments, to eventually remorse and apology—only to repeat the entire process over and over again. The problem with this pattern is that one ends up burning many bridges, relationships and burning many people out of even wanting to deal with you.
Emotional Training Rather than Repression
“Mastering our emotions has nothing to do with asceticism, or repression, for the purpose is not to break the emotions or deny them but to ‘break in’ the emotions, making them teachable because they are tamed” (p. 168). I need to be in charge of my own head, my own happiness and my own perspective. “The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand. You have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. The essence of this matter is to understand that this self of ours, this other man within us, has got to be handled. Do not listen to him; turn on him; speak to him; condemn him; remind him; upbraid him; exhort him; encourage him; remind him of what you know instead of placidly listening to him and allowing him to draw you down and depress you” (p. 168). When the Bible commands us to control ourselves, this also includes being in control of our moods and emotions (1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:4).
In Control Right Now
Waiting for the right feeling or mood to come along before I act can waste vast amounts of your life and mine. Do you have such luxury? Certainly not. There are many times in my life when I need to be patience right now, or kind right now or happy at this very moment—not just tomorrow. So instead of saying, “One day I would like to be content, as Paul was”. Or, “One day I would like to be able to pray and sing during a trial like Paul and Silas”, I instead need to say to myself, “I am going to do that right now”. Martin Lloyd Jones asked this great question, “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” Let’s stop listening to our emotions, and start preaching to them.
Fearing to Believe
“And while they still could not believe it for joy” (Luke 24:41). The apostles who exerienced this emotion as a result of hearing Jesus was raised from the dead, were grown men who lived in a uniquely difficult time. They thought all their dreams had been crushed and when they heard otherwise, they hesitated to even give themselves the permission to believe that Jesus might be raised. Many people end up in doubt because, to them, doubt has a certain amount of emotional safety— rather than believe and risk disappointment or being let down, doubt claims to offer protection against pain. “Do not get your hopes up”, it will say, or, “You will only get disappointed”, or, “The Bible is just too good to be true”. Don't listen.
Applications
- View these doubts for what they are— convenient and welcome and self-serving excuses.
- Have the courage to see the bigger picture. The issue is never whether or not God can be trusted or believed—He has a proven track record, but rather the question is whether or not God can trust me. The real issue that any doubt should raise in my life is, “Am I trustworthy?” Let's determine to be so.
- Be willing to give up all past grievances and self-pity. People who hold onto doubt are often unwilling to give up their victim status. There is much higher ground. Seek it out.
- God’s offer of salvation is not “too good to be true”, for nothing could be truer or better for you. Be saved!
- Problems brought before God may remain a problem for a while, but they are problems we can handle through the strength He supplies. Problems not brought before God are problems that are handling us. Such problems tend to become ‘gods’ and in the end consume us. Allow only God to be your God, and your emotions can be a great asset in your service to Him.
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.com
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
