Recent research suggests there are only four basic building blocks for all our emotions: Happiness, Sadness, Anger and Fear. Although this seems hard to believe consider that our DNA comes from just four nucleobases: Adenine, Guanine, Thymine and Cytosine. We all recognize the complexity of the human body just as we realize the multitude of emotions we experience every day. Still, thinking about being emotionally transformed seems a lot more daunting than merely affecting four basic emotions but let’s take a look at what God can do.
What’s God’s effect on our happiness? Some would say happiness is in material things and dismiss God’s impact immediately. Not so fast though, spanky. Even if this is how we measure happiness the bible says in God we find our strength, our rest and our joy. Is there any debate that if we’re strong both mentally and physically to endure and excel under the rigors of our daily jobs, relationships and circumstances that we will succeed? And if we succeed chances are we’ll advance. Doesn’t this mean more money to buy more stuff? Of course it does and while there’s certainly debate on whether this makes us happy it sure looks like God has a hand in it, but what about rest?
What about rest? Is sleep really that big a deal? Research says so. Sleep may be the single, largest barometer of success. Seems counter intuitive given the commonly held supposition that we have to grind, sleep when we’re dead and burn the candle at both ends while we multi-task doesn’t it? Well, turns out if we are so run down because we’re sleeping less than six or so hours a night we function at a much lower effectiveness and efficiency. Studies also say any hours over 50 per week are drastically less productive. We need rest and not just the shut-eye variety. We need the true rest that God offers to recharge our bodies, our minds and our emotions. So that leaves us with joy. What does that do for us? Only everything.
Far beyond just being “happy” a joy-infused life is one lived with zest and excitement. The bible calls God our truest source of joy and one that is limitless. The presence of joy adds to our strength, especially emotionally where we need the most fortification against our everyday trials. Approaching life with joy colors everything we do in a hue making our lives not only positive but meaningful. When our purpose is joy and our trust is in the source of that joy is there anything that we can’t overcome? Finally, if we call on God’s limitless supply of vitamin J won’t we vanquish the opposite of joy: sadness? So, what about the other two of the big four, anger and fear?
We talk a lot about fear because it’s such a large part of our noggins. Ever ask yourself what you’re afraid of? Many fears are traceable to fear of failure. In our time of fear though, God is with us, next to us, partnering with us, yoked closely to us, guiding us as we move through life if we’ll only accept him. He is there to handle the big things and encourage us to deal with the smaller things. His rod moves us in the proper way and his staff protects us from the big and bad stuff. This is comforting in and of itself; but his forgiveness quiets our minds as he calms our emotions. Leaving our sins with His son and finding refuge in God provides a peace nothing on earth can even approximate.
So how does anger survive amongst all this joy and happiness and rest and peace and fearlessness and forgiveness? I’m afraid it can’t, at least not for long. The strength of this gang of emotions, transforming us as they do, are overpowering to any animosity trying to take a foothold. When we adopt all of these our emotional climate becomes the comforting breeze of a seaside, the warmth of the sun in September, the sweet smell of a springtime rain. In God our emotions emanate from his boundless love and that’s a pretty good change, I’d say.
Every week I write about what I believe to be our humanity. Sometimes it’s faith based and sometimes it’s not. If you want to read more click here to go to my blog’s home page. I hope you like what you read here and that you’ll decide to subscribe. Subscribing is free and means you’ll receive an email on Saturday with links to the week’s posts. You can subscribe at my blog or here by clicking this. Please don’t worry, I never sell or share emails so you don’t have to worry about getting a bunch of junk.