Did you know the Bible commands emotions?

Many of us might recoil at that idea. We think that emotions aren’t under our control, so God shouldn’t command us to feel a certain way.

Others might object to God commanding emotions because they see the Christian life as mostly intellectual. For them, discipleship is primarily about acquiring more Bible knowledge, not training the affections.

Still others adopt a Stoic perspective on emotions. They’re viewed as a deceitful area of instability that needs to be either tempered by doctrine or suppressed.

Are those biblical assumptions?

I think they need to be reevaluated in light of the evidence that shows believers are called to experience a range of emotions. The Word of God does not only call us to believe, think, and decide, but also to feel. A healthy Christian life is one where the affections are fully engaged.

For example, the Bible commands joy:

• “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:11).
• “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him” (Psalm 33:1).
• “Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name” (Psalm 97:12).
• “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:1–2).
• “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4).
• “Rejoice always” (1 Thess 5:16).
• “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom 12:12).
• “Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!” (Phil 3:1).


It commands grief:

• “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
• “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Rom 12:15).
• “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom” (James 4:9).

It commands compassion:

• “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph 4:32).

It commands peace over anxiety:

• “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).
• “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).

It commands zeal:

• “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom 12:11).

It commands reverent fear:

• “Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling” (Psalm 2:11).
• “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him” (Psalm 33:8).
• “Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing” (Psalm 34:9).
• “…live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:17).
• “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12).

And it commands us to delight in God:

• “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

What I hope you see is that the Christian life engages not only the mind but the affections.

And those of us who believe the gospel of grace have the greatest motivation to obey these emotional commands.

A legalistic spirituality can’t produce joy. It’s built on fear, merit, and self-effort rather than on grace, trust, and rest. The very structure of legalism makes rejoicing impossible.

But grace makes it possible—it frees the heart to feel.

Grace teaches us that the God who calls you to delight in Him already delights in you. The Savior who calls you to be joyful counted it all joy to die for you. And that one-way love changes everything—including our affections.overed: when you embrace your weakness, you make room for Christ’s power to cover you. That’s not bad news—it’s the best news you could hear when you feel worn down. Paradoxically, the less self-sufficient you are, the more Christ-sufficient you will find Him to be.

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Send your questions or comments to shawn@freegrace.in.

Read his latest book, The Myth of Tithing and the Joy of Grace Giving by getting it from us or from Amazon.