The Emotionless God Myth

It feels like so often Christians nowadays see God as distant and not emotionally attached to our decisions. What do I mean by that? I mean that so many people assume that whatever we do doesn't affect God. That he doesn't grieve, feel hurt, or joy. Yeah we hear about things that hurt God and things that make him happy but how often do we actually think about how our actions affect God? I know I am guilty of not thinking about it as much as I should.

In my Old Testament class we went over Ezekiel in detail. To set the stage Ezekiel was a prophet in Babylon during the time of the taking of captives from Jerusalem to Babylon as well as the destruction of Babylon. Ezekiel was a one who saw visions of what was exactly happening in Jerusalem while he was in Babylon. With those visions he then described them to his fellow Israelites to tell them what was going on in Israel. Another interesting thing about Ezekiel was the fact that he was very in tune with God's feelings and emotions. What God felt he portrayed through Ezekiel to give us an example of how he really feels.

So with that setting there are many times that God portrayed his emotions through Ezekiel but I wanted to point out one main event. That was the day Jerusalem was destroyed. Before that day God had told Ezekiel that on that day he would lose something. God lost Jerusalem along with his temple and at that same time Ezekiel lost the closest person to him besides God... his wife. The same day God was grieving for his people who had walked away from him Ezekiel was grieving for his wife. Talk about a massive blow and what an example to show what God was feeling!

Yesterday was exactly six months from when my closest friend died. That was a dark day in my history. I have neglected to write about how I feel about it or how I was dealing with it because words seemed to small to describe what I was and am going through. Every memory of him is sweet yet at the same time it feels like someone stabbed me in the heart and was slowly twisting the knife. Every time I see a picture of him I want to cry. He means more to me than words can describe but many times I try and fail. Yet through all of that I realize now that God was grieving with me. God feels what I feel he is not just sitting up there watching expressionless. During those times God came by me and comforted me giving me hope for the future and the strength to go on.

With that we also have to remember that he doesn't only feel what we feel but he feels what we do. Have you ever tried to imagine every time you sin what God's reaction is? I know I haven't done it as much as I should. God does indeed feel pain and hurt when you sin against him. He is grieved when you fall away and don't follow his words. He wants us to be joyful and satisfied in him. When I thought about the pain I feel every time I think about my friend and then took that and applied it to what God feels when we sin against him it really put things into perspective. Because I know my pain is nothing compared to what He feels when we sin and when you put it that way it really helps you visualize that pain He feels. Would you really want to cause God so much pain just to please yourself? I know I wouldn't!

So what would happen if you took all the things you do and thought about if they please God or not?
Would you find that a lot of what you do is God pleasing or does it cause him grief?

So I challenge you to evaluate your life and look at what causes God grief and change that. Turn that into something God can take joy in. This life is so much bigger than living for ourselves. There is so much joy and fulfillment to find in following God and his word. Don't give up just because you feel depressed, sad, or angry. Remember God knows what your going through. Tell him about it and ask him to help you through it. Remember the power of prayer! Stay Strong!

Your bro in Christ,

//Suiveur