Govern Your Emotions: Finding Balance in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Emotions Are a Gift from God, Reflecting His Image

God created us with emotions as part of being made in His image, the imago Dei. Our capacity to feel—joy, grief, anger, compassion—mirrors the emotional life of God Himself, who rejoices, grieves, and burns with righteous anger. Emotions are not inherently negative or to be dismissed; rather, they are woven into the fabric of our humanity so that we might be most satisfied in God and bring Him glory. Recognizing this truth helps us approach our feelings with gratitude and humility, knowing that even our emotional life is a means to draw closer to the Lord. [05:35]

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Reflection: In what ways have you seen your emotions reflect the image of God this week, and how might you intentionally thank Him for this gift today?

Day 2: Avoid the Extremes—Neither Dismissing Nor Deifying Emotions

We are called to avoid two unhealthy extremes: dismissing emotions as untrustworthy and irrelevant, or deifying them by letting them rule our lives and decisions. While our hearts can be deceitful and our feelings warped by sin, emotions are not to be ignored or given unchecked authority. Instead, we are to recognize them as indicators, not dictators, and bring them under the lordship of Christ, learning to discern and govern them wisely. [10:19]

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Reflection: Which extreme do you tend toward—dismissing or deifying your emotions—and what is one practical step you can take today to move toward a more balanced, Christ-centered approach?

Day 3: Governing Emotions with Godly Wisdom and Self-Control

God calls us to govern our emotions, not be governed by them. Like a governor on a bus that keeps it from going too fast, self-control protects us and those around us from the destructive potential of unchecked feelings. The Psalms model this well: they express raw emotion but always return to hope in God, teaching us to recognize what we feel, ask why we feel it, and then submit those feelings to God’s truth. [19:33]

Psalm 42:5 (ESV)
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Reflection: When you experience strong emotions today, will you pause to ask yourself what you are feeling, why you are feeling it, and how you can bring it before God in prayer?

Day 4: Responding to Emotions with Righteous Action and Discernment

The stories of Saul and Nehemiah show us two paths: Saul gave himself over to envy and anger, leading to destruction, while Nehemiah recognized his anger, took counsel with his heart, and responded with righteous action to address injustice. Not every emotion is good or bad in itself; what matters is whether we take time to discern its source and respond in a way that honors God and serves others. [27:47]

Nehemiah 5:6-7 (ESV)
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them.

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you felt strong emotion—did you take time to discern its source and seek God’s wisdom before responding? How might you do so next time?

Day 5: Pursuing the Better Way—Emotional Maturity in Christ

Jesus calls us to a better way, offering abundant life not by removing us from the world’s brokenness, but by empowering us to live with emotional maturity and self-control. As we root ourselves in God’s wisdom, we learn to hate what is evil, cling to what is good, and respond to our emotions in ways that reflect Christ’s love and truth. This is the path to true spiritual formation and abundant life, even amid a world that constantly tugs at our feelings. [48:28]

John 10:10 (ESV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Reflection: What is one area of your emotional life where you need to invite Jesus to bring His abundant life and wisdom today, and what step will you take to submit that area to Him?

Sermon Summary

In a world that increasingly defines reality by feelings—“I feel, therefore I am”—it’s crucial to recognize that emotions are a God-given part of being made in His image. Emotions are not inherently bad or good; rather, they are indicators of what our hearts love, trust, and fear. God Himself expresses emotions—joy, anger, compassion, even grief—so our capacity to feel is a reflection of the imago Dei. Yet, because of sin, our emotions can be warped, leading us to either dismiss them entirely or deify them, letting them rule our lives. Both extremes are dangerous. Dismissing emotions can lead to a cold, unfeeling existence, while deifying them makes us slaves to every emotional whim.

Instead, we are called to govern our emotions, to set a “governor” on them much like a bus has a speed limiter for safety. This means neither suppressing nor indulging every feeling, but learning to recognize, understand, and submit our emotions to God’s wisdom. The Psalms provide a model for this: raw, honest expressions of emotion are always brought back to hope and trust in God. Emotions are meant to be indicators, not dictators.

Looking at biblical examples, Saul and Nehemiah both experienced intense anger, but their responses were vastly different. Saul gave himself over to his anger, leading to destructive actions. Nehemiah, on the other hand, recognized his anger, examined its cause, consulted his heart, and responded with self-control and wisdom rooted in God’s law. This is the pattern for us: recognize what we feel, ask why we feel it, bring it before God’s Word, and then respond in a way that honors Him.

Not every emotion is to be acted upon. Sometimes the right response is to flee (as with temptation), sometimes to fight back with truth (as with anxiety or despair), and sometimes to take practical steps (as with financial stress). The key is to let God’s wisdom define what is good and evil, not our shifting feelings or cultural trends. In a world that bombards us with emotional manipulation—from media, advertising, and social platforms—we must be rooted in Christ, submitting our emotions to Him. Jesus offers abundant life not by removing us from the world’s mess, but by transforming us from the inside out, even in the midst of it. As we come to the Lord’s table, let it be a time to refocus, bringing our emotions under the lordship of Christ, remembering both the brokenness of the world and the depth of God’s love for us.

Key Takeaways

1. Emotions Reflect the Image of God, but Are Warped by Sin Our ability to feel deeply is a gift from God, reflecting His own emotional nature. However, because of the fall, our emotions are not always trustworthy; they can be twisted by sin and self-interest. This means we must approach our feelings with humility, recognizing both their value and their vulnerability to distortion. Rather than dismissing or idolizing emotions, we are called to steward them wisely. [05:35]
2. Avoid the Extremes: Dismissing or Deifying Emotions It’s tempting to either suppress emotions for the sake of stability or to let them rule as the ultimate authority in our lives. Both approaches are spiritually unhealthy. Dismissing emotions can lead to numbness and a lack of empathy, while deifying them makes us captive to every passing feeling. True maturity is found in governing our emotions, allowing them to inform but not control us. [10:19]
3. Governing Emotions Requires Self-Examination and Submission to God’s Wisdom Like Nehemiah, we must learn to pause and ask, “What am I feeling? Why am I feeling it?” before reacting. This self-examination is not an end in itself; it must be followed by submitting our emotions to the truth of God’s Word. Only then can we discern whether our feelings align with God’s heart or need to be redirected. This process cultivates emotional intelligence rooted in spiritual wisdom. [27:47]
4. Not All Emotions Are Inherently Good or Bad—Discernment Is Key Joy can be perverted, and anger can be righteous. The Bible calls us to hate what is evil and cling to what is good, but we are not the arbiters of those definitions—God is. We must continually seek His wisdom to discern the true nature of our emotions and the appropriate response, rather than relying on cultural norms or personal preferences. [33:38]
5. Responding to Emotions: Flee, Fight, or Act—Always in Submission to Christ The right response to emotion varies: sometimes we must flee (from temptation), sometimes fight back with truth (against anxiety or despair), and sometimes take practical steps (like making a plan). In all cases, self-control is essential, and our actions must be guided by God’s wisdom, not by the shifting tides of our feelings. This is how we walk in the abundant life Jesus offers, even in a world that constantly tugs at our emotions.

** [42:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - From “I Think” to “I Feel”: The Shift in Culture
[02:13] - Emotional Growth: From Toddlers to Adults
[04:30] - Emotions in the Image of God
[05:35] - God’s Emotions and Ours
[08:01] - The Danger of Dismissing Emotions
[10:19] - The Danger of Deifying Emotions
[12:36] - Governing Emotions: The Middle Way
[15:23] - The Bus Governor Analogy
[16:59] - The Psalms: Honest Emotions with a Governor
[19:33] - Hope in God: Governing Despair
[20:39] - Case Studies: Saul and Nehemiah
[23:06] - Saul: Ungoverned Anger
[25:48] - Nehemiah: Righteous Anger and Self-Examination
[27:47] - Recognizing and Regulating Emotions
[33:38] - God’s Wisdom Defines Good and Evil
[36:43] - Rooted in Christ, Not Culture
[42:31] - Responding to Emotions: Flee, Fight, or Act
[45:08] - The World’s Emotional Manipulation
[48:28] - Abundant Life in Christ
[49:28] - Communion: Refocusing Our Hearts

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 42:5 (ESV) — > Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

1 Samuel 18:6-11 (ESV) — > As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.

Nehemiah 5:6-7 (ESV) — > I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them.

Observation Questions

In Psalm 42:5, what does the psalmist do with his feelings of being “cast down” and in “turmoil”?
What triggered Saul’s anger in 1 Samuel 18, and how did he respond to it?
How did Nehemiah respond when he became “very angry” in Nehemiah 5? What steps did he take before acting?
According to the sermon, what are the two unhealthy extremes people can fall into when dealing with emotions? ([10:19])

Interpretation Questions

Why does the psalmist in Psalm 42:5 talk to his own soul, and what does this teach us about handling our emotions?
What does Saul’s reaction in 1 Samuel 18 reveal about the dangers of letting emotions go ungoverned?
How does Nehemiah’s process of “taking counsel with himself” before acting show a godly way to handle strong emotions? ([27:47])
The sermon says emotions are “indicators, not dictators.” What does this mean, and why is it important for Christians? ([05:35])

Application Questions

Think about a recent time when you felt a strong emotion (anger, sadness, anxiety, etc.). Did you tend to dismiss it, let it control you, or try to govern it? What was the result? ([10:19])
The sermon compared emotions to a bus with a speed governor. What would it look like for you to “set a governor” on your emotions in a specific area of your life this week? ([15:23])
When you feel upset or angry, do you usually stop to ask yourself, “Why am I feeling this?” How could pausing to ask this question change your response? ([27:47])
Are there emotions you tend to label as “bad” or “good” without considering what God’s Word says about them? How might you bring those feelings before God for discernment? ([33:38])
The sermon gave examples of different responses to emotions: sometimes we need to flee, sometimes fight back with truth, and sometimes take practical steps. Which of these responses do you find most challenging, and why? ([42:31])
Our culture often encourages us to “follow our hearts” or “trust our feelings.” How can you stay rooted in Christ and God’s wisdom instead of being swayed by your emotions or cultural trends? ([36:43])
Communion is described as a time to “refocus” and bring our emotions under the lordship of Christ. What would it look like for you to do this in your daily life, not just at church? ([49:28])

Sermon Clips

But the fact that you and I experience them and have to control them is part and parcel of the fact that at the very beginning of this book, we are told that you and I, all humans, are created in the image of God. So to have emotions, to wrestle with emotions, is part of being created in the imago Dei, that we are created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we recognize that God has given us the capacity to feel. [00:05:39] (25 seconds) #EmotionsReflectImagoDei

We deify our emotions when we give them authority in our lives, where they take dominion over our decisions, our priorities, and our responses. What it looks like practically is you have given what you feel carte blanche to rule your day. It's like you've written your emotions or your heart a blank check and said, whatever you want, buddy, and we're going to go with it. And we live there. That's dangerous to live in that kind of extreme. [00:11:50] (27 seconds) #BewareEmotionalIdolatry

If we're going to talk about governing our emotions, what better place to learn how to do that than from the one who gave them to us? How amazing is it that God, in all of His wisdom, said, I'm not going to just give you a Bible that tells you stories. I'm not going to just give you a Bible and a word that tells you how you ought to live as my people, but within that, we also, God has given us the Bible. this book that is full, jam -packed of psalms and prayers and songs that speak to the human experience in this world and how we navigate it. That we can go and learn from the giver of these feelings how we're supposed to govern them. [00:20:16] (42 seconds) #AbundantLifeThroughSelfControl

So Jeremiah 17, 9, the human heart is wicked above all things. It's deceitful. Who can trust it, right? Absolutely. It doesn't mean dismiss. It means discern. Consult. That's the Psalm 42. Why are you cast down? But hope in the Lord. Or we take what we have, and we begin to speak into the feelings that we have, and say, number one, is this a worthwhile thing? [00:31:35] (26 seconds) #RighteousAngerIsValid

And when we oversimplify some of these things, we do an injustice to how God has created us in His image. And we fail to understand what these emotions truly are and how we deal with them. So I'm not going to stand before you this morning and just say, don't be angry. I'm going to tell you, take counsel in your heart. I'm not even going to tell you this morning, just be joyful. But take counsel in your joy. [00:32:38] (29 seconds) #DiscernFeelingsWithFaith

And so we don't just root ourselves in the headlines and we don't just root ourselves in the kind of the pitch of where the world's at today. We root ourselves in something far more concrete, far more sturdy, far more everlasting. We root ourselves in the Lord. And wisdom comes from Him. A wisdom that helps us to understand righteousness. A wisdom that helps us understand justice and equity and every good path. [00:36:43] (29 seconds) #FleeFromDestructivePassions

We need to regulate our emotions. And it starts by simply slowing down. Recognize it. What am I feeling? Why am I feeling it? What does God have to say about this? And then we can get to the point where we begin to respond. Because we need to get there. We need to get to how do we respond wisely? How do we respond biblically? How do we respond to the things that we are wrestling with in a way that honors God? [00:37:31] (34 seconds) #RespondStrategicallyNotAnxiously

We are being discipled emotionally every single day. And hiding from that is not an option for the church. It's not an option for God's people. Dismissing your emotions is just as much a lack of self -control as deifying them. So we need to govern them, and we need to govern them well. [00:48:28] (18 seconds)

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