Modern churches place an enormous amount of focus on the emotional experience of being a Christian. Worship teams craft songs and services to evoke an emotional response from those listening. Sermons focus on engaging stories rather than the plain truth of Scripture. And I don’t know about you, but it’s a rare day when my mailbox (physical and virtual) doesn’t find an impassioned plea for help from some ministry or another.
Social media adds to the play for our emotions by hyping the latest heresy or cause to which the church should be attending. Humans are emotional beings and Christians are no exception. But following Jesus involves more than emotions. Jesus said we must love Him not only with all our heart (emotion) but also with all our strength, mind, and soul (Mark 12:30).
It is good to engage our emotions in living out our faith. As we meditate on the character of God, it should overwhelm us with awe, fear, and thankfulness (Psalm 33:8; Psalm 100:4). True worship is born out of these times spent in the presence of our Savior. His love fills us with joy, His sacrifice with thankfulness, and His salvation with peace (Romans 15:13). Everything about God invokes an emotional response within us. Emotions, in their purest sense, result from contemplating our Creator (Psalm 8:3-4).
If we spend all our time basking in His presence, we will never fulfill our call to be His hands and feet in this world (Matthew 25:35-40). James tells us faith without works is dead (James 2:15-17). This means loving Jesus involves more than emotions; it also involves a lot of work. We are here for a purpose and we won’t accomplish the work He has for us if we don’t put our shoulder to the wheel (Ephesians 2:10). We should do everything we do as if we are doing it for God Himself (Colossians 3:23)—because we are!
Being a Christian does not mean we check our brains at the door. Some of the greatest thinkers in history have been followers of Christ (C. S. Lewis, Søren Kierkegaard, Louis Pasteur, G. K. Chesterton, Jonathan Edwards, Blaise Pascal, and Isaac Newton, to name just a few). We understand justice, the order of the universe, and wisdom through the lens of God’s Word (Proverbs 2:6). Being created in God’s image, we are predisposed to think, explore, create, and imagine (Genesis 1:27). We are to use all of our intellect for His purpose and to bring Him glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Following Jesus involves so much more than emotions. When we love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength, we will worship Him as Lord and commend our soul to Him (Psalm 103:1). Surrendering to Jesus takes more than an emotional response. It involves repenting of everything we’ve ever done to dishonor His name and a commitment to obey Him at all times (Acts 3:19-20; John 14:15). Jesus is Lord and we won’t grasp that fact if we never move beyond an emotional response to His love. To follow Jesus is to take up your cross daily, even when you are tired and sick of it all (Luke 9:23). Emotions will fade. A genuine commitment to the King of Kings will save you for eternity (Romans 10:9-10).