Many of us are finding ourselves battling emotions like we never have before. In a season of so much uncertainty, we might wonder: Does Jesus care about my feelings? Short answer: Yes! Jesus isn’t distant from us. He came to Earth to be with us. And He’s with us in every emotion, too. Learn more in this excerpt from the Emotions Bible Plan, and discover how Jesus processed His emotions in Pastor Craig’s accompanying message series, Emotions.
Our faith and our feelings aren’t separate. They’re interconnected, influencing each other as we pursue Jesus. If we don’t acknowledge our feelings, we’re missing out on seeing God’s character as our Comforter, Redeemer, Healer, and Advocate. On the other hand, if we rely too much on our feelings, we’re at risk of making poor decisions.
So how do we reconcile that tension? We invite God and others into our feelings. We don’t shove them away, but we ask God what He’s trying to say through our emotions, knowing that Jesus cares about our pain, no matter how big or small it may seem.
Does Jesus care about my feelings? Well, let’s take a look at His life. First of all, Jesus was incredible at showing empathy to others, and He showed so many feelings during His time on Earth.
Even while Jesus was being crucified, He showed deep compassion for His mother, Mary. He saw her weeping and mourning next to His disciple, John, so He looked at her and said that John would be a son to her. Jesus knew that His mother would need to nurture and be nurtured, and so He took care of her even in the midst of the crucifixion. Her tears were not insignificant. They were deeply important—so much so that Jesus spent some of His last moments before dying tending to them.
Jesus cares that deeply for our pain, too. We see that in another story where Jesus healed a woman who had been bleeding for years. Doctors couldn’t cure her, and she had spent all of her money without hope of being healed. She desperately touched Jesus’ robe, knowing that one touch from Him could cure her.
Jesus stopped what He was doing to find her and encourage her faith. He allowed the pain of one woman to pause the work He was doing for a crowd. He cares deeply for the things that we care about.
The woman may have felt desperate and broken. But her faith prompted her to get near to Jesus, knowing that He alone could fix her. So, when we experience painful emotions or joyful emotions, we go running back to the Father—the only One who can heal every hurt.
Our emotions don’t define our faith and they don’t dictate our future. But when we’re processing things in a healthy way, our emotions can draw us closer to our Creator, allowing Him to strengthen us, draw near to us, and carry us.
Pray This: God, thank You for seeing every emotion I have and showing me empathy in it all. I’ve been carrying a lot of ____, but I know that You see it, You care about it, and You’re with me in it. Show me what You’re teaching me through this season in my emotions, God. Help me come to You with all of my feelings so that my faith may be strengthened, and help me make the right choices despite what I may feel. In Jesus’ name, amen.