Can you feel too much?

Question

Today's Psychology tells us to go through all of the steps of our emotions and that we're allowed to own our feelings. I care more about God's expectations of us.

I know that James 1 says:
"2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

Not regarding spiritual attacks, but rather in regard to when something bad happens: your emotional reaction to it. For example, a loved one is taken from you (overseas maybe) and you fall apart. Is there a limit to how much of a breakdown you're allowed in God's eyes? A place where you should stop so that you can be the person He needs you to be?

I've never studied God's Word in regard to being too emotional or the flesh and emotions and am looking for help additional to my own study. Thanks!

I guess what I should have asked is this:

Can you ever be too emotional, in God's eyes?

I mean, I'm sure he can't use an emotional basketcase...except for to make an example out of him/her. So, where is that line?

Answer 1

Yes, you can feel too much. But we do have the opportunity to "own our feelings" in a healthier way than allowing them to control us as much of today's psychology preaches. But emotions in and opf themsevles are not bad. They are God-given and therefore good, as long as we don't allow them to control our lives. Since God created us, He knows that we have emotions and that we display them.

Look at the example you offered - death of a loved one. In the instance you cited, remember that when Jesus got to Bethany for Lazarus' funeral, He cried. This was even though He knew that Lazarus would be restored from the dead to life. So if God Himself can show this emotion of sadness and loss, why would He condemn us for having the same reaction?

The difference is how long we dwell on the loss and how long it takes us to trust God and to ask God for hope. Or in the opposite case, whether we abandon all else in the pursuit of feeling good. Either way, we can allow our feelings to overreach their boundaries they become the focal point of life. Look at the majority of sin - it is all associated with feelings and sensations of the flesh.

Besides, it's not all about feelign good. Staying in a deep depression instead of taking action by praying and seeking both spiritual and medical counsel is not what God wants. That's because it weakens us. If we stay deep enough in that depression it isn't long before Satan starts offering all the carnal pleasures to us as a way to cope instead of working through it and healing. We end up giving in to all the sins of the flesh and in the end become entrapped by them and in even deeper depression than before.

What James means in this Scripture is that we will face trials. Even trial we face gives us an opportunity to make a decision - either we continue in the depression that leads to depravity or we face the emotion and take the healthy steps I referred to earlier. In dealing with the issues through hope and faith in God we are healed. Time doesn't heal all wounds. Left untreated, many of them get worse. God heals all wounds.

Answer 2

I think that our biggest problem is not feeling enough. We seem to have so little compassion for others. What little we do have is reserved for only a few who are closest to us.

A long time ago I thought that love was something that you reserved for some special set of people that you had judged worthy of it.

After a while I got to thinking about what Jesus had said about turning the other cheek and loving our neighbor I put the two together and realized that he had made no exceptions in these statements. It became obvious to me that he intended that we exclude no one from the love that we are supposed to be giving. I started thinking about my idea of love and suddenly realized that I had not been loving anyone at all. I had simply been judging everyone and every thing.

Judging someone worthy of love is not love, it is only judgment. I actually started to cry when I realized this. I saw just how much of my life I had wasted being judgmental, thinking of myself as a Christian, when I was actually doing just the opposite of what Jesus had asked us to do.

I thought about the verse judge not lest ye be judged, and I understood it for the first time.

I realized that I have a lot of catching up to do. So many opportunities were wasted. I now try to apply the love that I have for the world in a universal way like Jesus asks us to do.

If I start to feel afraid and think that I see someone that I should not love because of something I have thought or heard I try to catch my mistake as soon as possible. I tell myself that I have forgot the truth and have fallen for the same old trick that had cost me so many opportunities to be loving in the past. The horror of this realization is often all that is necessary to bring me back to my senses and make me drop the judgmental nonsense I was thinking.

So my answer is no I don’t think that you can feel to much. I still have a lot to learn about love, but at least I’m making progress.

Answer 3

I don't think so... For we are sentient beings and we owe upon ourselves to feel each and every emotion that we can muster.

It's a good thing that WE DO HAVE the CHOICE TO DECIDE which emotions we'd like to experience at our own will, AT ANY GIVEN TIME. While some people tend to live in the past to feed on their bitterness, loneliness or sadness, the rest of the others can and are able to live in the present as they choose to experience some iota of happiness in their lives...

We each paddle our own canoes to get to where we'd like to end up somewhere downstream...

Peace be with you!

Answer 4

I agree with u. Its good to go thru all the steps of our emotions, but at thesame time u need to trust in God and believe that everything is going to be okay and that nothing bad will happen. You can cry bcos u miss that person, but crying bcos something might happen to them is not a blessed assurance.

Answer 5

When these things happen, God wants us to have a time of grievance, and then a time for acceptance to Gods will, God has reasons, and when we love someone, we are only losing them in this worldly life, thats why we should share what we know of Christ so people can know God and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour, so that we may have an eternal life with all of our bretheren.

Answer 6

Some people do "feel" too much, in my opinion and I would have to say yes. Sometimes, you just have to drop it to be yourself. I mean sure, you are going to have emotions, but sometimes things are taken extremely when they needn't be.

Answer 7

if you believe in god enough, he will comfort you so that you dont get to that "breaking point" if there is one at all. through god, all things are possible. even overcoming the death of a loved one.