Feelings are surprising, powerful, painful, pleasurable, and complex and because of that, a lot of people don’t exactly know what to do with their emotions. Some folks treat their emotions like they’re a curse and do all they can to repress them, ignore them, and eliminate them from their lives. On the other hand, others treat their emotions as if they are the most important thing in their life. What is most true and significant in their life is what they feel and nothing else. For them, emotions are god.

For these people, for whom emotions are god, John Piper shares a challenging and needed word.

My feelings are not God. God is God.

My feelings do not define truth. God’s word defines truth.

My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives. And sometimes – many times – my feelings are out of sync with the truth. When that happens – and it happens every day in some measure – I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth.” (Taken from Finally Alive: What Happens When We Are Born Again? Download it for free here.)

Emotions are not gross, but they’re also not God. They a gift given to us to enjoy in relationship with God and others as they’re aligned by God’s truth.