The gloves are laced, the sounding bell rings and the fight of the year begins! In one corner, we have Cerebral. Solid and calculated in his reactions. In the opposite corner we have Emotion. Quick, yet sporadic and abrupt in his thinking and judgment. The first to make a move is Emotion. He shows aggression yet he is ineffective. As he throws a punch into his opponent without thinking, Cerebral places a careful aim to Emotion’s foolhardiness. The punch hits its mark! Cerebral is clearly in control of his action. Emotion is instantly down wondering what happened. The judges’ unanimous decision declares Cerebral the winner. Here’s the news headline: While Emotion was quick to react first, the careful knowledge applied by Cerebral proves to be no match!
Several days ago, the word-of–the-day on dictionary.com was cerebral. Interesting word isn’t it? The definition given is, “involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct”. The listed synonym for cerebral is intellectual. I was immediately reminded how important it is to approach life circumstances with knowledge and intelligence rather than with feelings and emotions.
The church I attend is largely made up of ‘cerebral’ thinkers! This is because aerospace is a main employment venue in our valley. Think problem solvers and fact collectors; using known results and developing new statistics. The outcome of this approach is carefully planned testing of ideas. Knowledge and intelligence applied, effects outcome that can be repeated. This way of thinking is void of emotional experience. It has to be in order to prove comparable data.
Consider. Gather a few dozen people in a room. Present the same scenario to each. Then, without ground rules or written data, ask how each might react to the circumstance layed out before them. This is like asking a few dozen people what they think about something!! Avoid it, plain and simple. Why? It leads to confusion. However, do the same thing with a list of facts and proven results and the answers will have more commonality. This is because the basis for the reaction is built more upon proven results and knowledge than emotion.
Should we then be void of feelings? Are emotions bad?
I sure hope not! I love the wonderful feeling of my grandchildren holding my hand or wanting to snuggle. I am happy when they walk in the door and run to me calling my name ready to give me a hug! We’re talking downright warm fuzzy in the heart feelings! I treasure the compassionate hug from my husband at the end of a long, trying day. I seek the touch of comfort from a friend when I’m hurt or sad.
So am I contradicting myself? I don’t think so. God gave us feelings and emotions so there must be a place for them. God shows His feelings towards different circumstances. Jesus, on earth as the perfect man/God, felt emotion. The shortest verse in the Bible says “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Jesus shed tears. That’s emotion. Strong feelings from those who followed God are also recorded in the Bible.
God is love. He is the personification of love. The originator of love. Love, <agape>, is an affection. To have affection for someone is to have a positive feeling of liking for them, to have a fondness for them, tenderness, warm-heartedness. The Gospel is based on God’s love. God’s perfect love.
Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”.
We read in the Bible that God is love but He also showed anger. WordWeb characterizes anger as a strong emotion.
2Ch 28:9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has even reached heaven”. God caused the slaying of thousands because they were acting in ways against Him. This is a display of His perfect righteousness.
What’s the difference between our response to emotions and God’s actions towards emotions?
Perfection. Job 5:2 says, “For vexation slays the foolish man, and anger kills the simple”. Man is both foolish and simple in comparison to God. Not many of us would deny that. The foolish man is destroyed by anger because it is rooted in a depraved soul. The foolish man is led away in lust when presented with feelings of love unhindered by intelligence. The foolish man is devoid of good sense or judgment. The simple man is child-like. Not in an innocent sort of way, but rather, in lacking the mental capacity to see things clearly. He acts or responds before thinking upon or considering the consequences.
What can we say then? Perhaps it is not the actual feelings or emotions we have that are bad, but how we act upon those emotions. It’s what we do with emotions. How much credence do we give our feelings?
Truth: because we are weak, we are unable to respond perfectly and accurately in regards to our feelings. So while emotions have a part in our lives, it is better to act upon knowledge – the facts we possess to be true and right and honest and holy.
Largely, action driven by emotion is immediate. Action driven by knowledge takes time to sort through facts, consider details and seek wise counsel.
People get angry. Anger in man often causes one to hold a grudge against another. Anger in the wrong hands of flawed judgment leads to nothing good.
Ps 55:1-3 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and do not hide Thyself from my supplication. 2 Give heed to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the pressure of the wicked; for they bring down trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
Ps 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
On the flip side, perfect righteousness leads to perfect anger and judgment. Only God qualifies perfection.
Mt 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are to attain to God’s perfection, strive towards it. To do this, we must follow His example. It is necessary to adhere to what He says. We are to look to His word in all things, including the handling of emotion and feelings. We should strive to become more cerebral in regards to our actions and responses.
Jas 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.
Which gloves will you lace up and wear? The ones marked Cerebral or Emotion?
