Created for Emotions

      We are created for JOY, but we are created also with the capacity to feel other emotions. "Feel" is one of those words that scares people. Many think that to "feel" is synonymous with being weak. The truth is just the opposite. It takes courage to confront our real emotions and learn how to appropriately express them.
     Remember the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which Christians celebrate on Palm Sunday before Easter? The crowd was shouting in celebration... welcoming Jesus, praising Him. He had only a few days earlier raised Lazarus from the dead, and many in the crowd had seen it themselves. Jesus rode on a donkey, while people laid palm branches and cloaks on the path in front of him.
     When they reached the top of the hill and Jesus looked out over the city of Jerusalem, Jesus began to weep. Now, there's a party-stopper!
     He was overwhelmed with sorrow for those who didn't understand or accept Him, those who stayed locked in unbelief and fear. His words echo today: "If you had only known what would bring you peace..."
     Jesus came to die for sin, and He came to show us how to live our lives fully as human beings. He never apologized for weeping with His friends, nor caring about others. He was sometimes angry at people and their lack of faith in His Father. He celebrated with joy when His followers completed an assignment or when He played with children.
     It may take us a long time to learn how to feel our feelings if we were trained otherwise...but how freeing and refreshing it can be to no longer stuff them.
     What keeps you from getting in touch with your emotions? What are some of the ways you express your emotions appropriately? Maybe you can help someone else find new avenues for freedom.