painting by Maura Pool
God and Emotions – How God Guides Us With Our Emotions
It is vital to know how God and emotions work together. This is the second part of the post Understanding Emotions For Parents and Kids. So please read that article first. For those of us who believe in God, whether you are.Christian or not, Protestant or Catholic, I believe and hope that this article will help. God makes Himself known to people of different faiths in different ways. He is still God. And God and emotions is an important topic to most of us.
Thus, in this post, we will examine the spiritual aspects of emotions. Emotions can serve as a compass, guiding us toward God’s will and helping us align our lives with His purpose. For example, feelings of peace and joy show that we are on the right path. Persistent feelings of unease or sadness hint that we need to reevaluate our choices.
Spiritual Exercises
One method for understand God and emotions is an incredibly valuable tool that has been helping people for over 500 years. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) developed it. He was a wise and thoughtful figure in Christian history. He is also recognized as a Catholic saint. He created a method for discerning God’s will, known as the Spiritual Exercises. This method offers a structured approach to deepening one’s relationship with God and understanding His guidance.
Many Protestant traditions similarly encourage examining emotions through the lens of Scripture, emphasizing the Holy Spirit’s role in leading believers. This approach ensures that emotions, while important, are not the sole measure of spiritual truth. More about that later. In my view, the Spiritual Exercises offer an additional and nuanced way to explore the connection between God and emotions. They offer insights that can help Christians across traditions. And the parts of the Spiritual Exercises that I will discuss here can also help non-Christian believers of God.
The Spiritual Exercises two key emotional states: spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation. Spiritual Consolation includes feelings of peace and joy. It also involves a sense of closeness to God. Spiritual Desolation involves feelings of heaviness and doubt. It also includes spiritual dryness. By reflecting on these states, we can gain insight into how God is guiding us. We can then respond with faith and trust.
Spiritual Consolation
refers to a spiritual state where one feels an increase in faith, hope, and love. It is marked by inner peace, joy, and a sense of being drawn closer to God. Its characteristics are:
Deep sense of connection with God.
Feelings of gratitude, awe, and love for God.
Strengthened desire to serve God and others.
Encouragement to live virtuously.
Feeling God’s presence in prayer.
Joy and peace from aligning with God’s will.
A sense of clarity and direction in making decisions.
How God Speaks Through Consolation
God uses consolation to affirm our decisions. It guides us toward His will and draws us deeper into relationship with Him. It often acts as a sign that we are on the right spiritual path.
Use the time to confirm commitments and deepen your relationship with God. Prepare for times of desolation by fostering gratitude and resolve.
Spiritual Desolation
is the opposite state, where one feels distant from God, marked by spiritual dryness, doubt, and inner turmoil. It often leads to a decrease in faith, hope, and love. Its characteristics are:
Feelings of heaviness, sadness, or anxiety.
Doubts about God’s presence and goodness.
Temptation to turn away from spiritual practices or virtues.
Inner darkness or confusion.
Struggles to pray or feel connected to God
Experiences of spiritual apathy or discouragement.
Difficulty discerning God’s will for you.
How God Speaks Through Spiritual Desolation
Negative emotions in desolation, while painful, invite reflection, repentance, and reliance on God’s grace. God does not cause desolation but allows it. It is a way of showing us that we are on the wrong path and that we should consider changing course.
God and Emotions: Guidance Through Consolation and Desolation
While desolation itself not come from God, it is allowed by Him as a way for spiritual growth. It challenges us to deepen our faith and persevere despite feelings of separation. It can also serve as a warning when we are veering away from God’s will. Emotions serve as a Spiritual Compass. Consolation and desolation show how closely aligned we are with God. Positive emotions in consolation are not merely “feel-good” experiences but indicators of God’s active presence and guidance.
During consolation, we are encouraged to trust the direction God seems to be pointing us toward. In desolation, we must resist making hasty decisions. We should reaffirm our trust in God. We need to recognize that the feelings are temporary and will pass.
In Spiritual Desolation, avoid making significant changes or decisions. Instead, persist in prayer, trust in God, and seek spiritual support in discerning God’s will.
This method of spiritual discernment is not meant for brief and passing emotions. It applies to emotions that arise from the paths we are taking or the decisions we are making in life. For example, if we are going in the wrong direction, we can recognize our wrong path. we notice a heavy, negative feelings of desolation that are not easily shaken off. There is a heavy sensation in our bodies. When we are on the right path, we feel a lightness in our bodies. We make decisions within God’s will. We experience spiritual peace even if the path is difficult. This helps us live the way God wants us to live our lives.
God speaks to us through both consolation and desolation, shaping our spiritual journey. That is one reason God and emotions matter so much. By reflecting on these emotional states, we grow in self-awareness. We develop a deeper understanding of God’s presence and purposes in our lives. This interplay teaches us to trust in the joyful moments. It also guides us to trust in the struggles. We know that both are part of God’s communication with us. Still, I repeat what I mentioned in another post. We must always consider what scripture says. We must also consider what our church teaches.
Teaching Our Children Healthy Ways to Process Their Emotions
By teaching our children to tune into their bodies, we guide them to describe their sensations. This approach helps them develop greater emotional awareness and self-regulation. This practice can also be a powerful tool for managing emotions, as it encourages mindfulness and self-reflection.
The Role of Emotions in Decision-Making & Discerning God’s Will
Emotions play a crucial role in how we make decisions. They influence how we perceive options and weigh risks. While emotions can sometimes cloud judgment they also give valuable information about our values, priorities, and needs. Teaching children to listen to their emotions and balance them with reason can help them make thoughtful, values-based decisions. This approach fosters emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-confidence. Emotions as a Gift from God. Ultimately, emotions are a gift from God. They are designed to enrich our lives and draw us closer to Him and to one another. They help us navigate the complexities of life, providing us with the tools we need to adapt, grow, and connect. We should embrace our emotions. By doing this, we teach our children to do the same. This creates a foundation for deeper understanding. We also build stronger relationships and a closer walk with God.
1. Model Emotional Honesty:
Share your own feelings with your children when appropriate. Show healthy ways to express and manage these emotions.
2. Create a Safe Space for Them to Express Emotions:
Encourage open communication. Let your children know that all emotions are valid and welcome. You ask them to describe how their body experiences the emotion, example lightness or heaviness in the chest. Then try to have them describe the feeling. Be very accepting and non-judgmental. Also remind them that they can’t help how they feel, they can only help what they do about the feelings.
3. Seek God’s Guidance:
Turn to prayer and scripture for wisdom and strength in understanding and managing emotions. You can also help them “reappraise” or see a different side to the situation that set off the emotion.
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Key Takeaways:
Emotions are an integral part of who we are, intricately designed to help us navigate life’s challenges and blessings. By understanding and embracing the purpose of emotions, we can support our children in developing emotional intelligence and resilience. Let us celebrate the gift of emotions. We can use them as a bridge to connect with one another. They also help us connect with God, who created us to feel deeply and live abundantly. Always look at emotions through the lens of scripture and the teachings of your particular house of worship.
Emotions are essential to our identity.
They help us navigate challenges and blessings.
Understanding emotions supports children’s emotional intelligence and resilience.
Emotions serve as a bridge for connection with others.
They foster a connection with God and enrich our lives.
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