Question: Hello, I am writting to you with a heavy heart. I was saved about 3 years ago. I know I was saved just by the feeling I got when I said the sinners prayer. I was watching a Christian movie and at the end of it, a preacher came on talking of Jesus and asked anyone who'd like to know Jesus to repeat it. And I did at which I started crying and was unable to stop. Then the greastest feeling of joy and love came over me. I never want to loose that feeling. But, now it has been 3 years and I still worship God the same way as I did when I first got saved. What I mean is at church I can see people getting so excited and crying and really getting into the music. My question is, does it make me a bad christian because I do not geat excited as I see others or that I don't get as into the music as others or that I do not cry constantly at church or when God is in my thoughts, (which is 90% of the time)? I yearn for the feeling I see others with and I pray for it to take hold of me but for some reason I feel like something is holding me back.
Answer Thanks so much for your question. Christianity is more than emotions, but it is wonderful when we can feel what we believe. I wouldn't put the pressure on myself to regularly reproduce the same or even better emotions, however.
Emotions should flow out of what we know. In other words, when we think of objective truth about God, meaning we have a high and meaningful view of God or Christ or His work or words, then emotions are appropriate. They are the handmaiden of truth. They are not the first thing, but the resulting thing. We should not have to think about emotions, but rather we should think about God and truth and let emotions come naturally. They should not be worked up, but should come without preparation. And, as you can imagine, because God is so high and great, it would be common for there to be emotions expressed in every true believer's life.
I wrote about emotions in a piece called, "The Elderly Mr. Phipp." You can read it on the www.WaytoGod.org site at http://www.waytogod.org/phipp.html. If this does not work, go to the site and click on "Brockton Dialogues."
Also, if you would like, I could send you the booklet, Wasted Faith. This will help you analyze your conversion to Christ to make sure it is real. You may also hear this on the site by looking in the audio section.
I hope this helps you. Please let me know if you have further questions and if this meets your need for understanding.
Jim
www.WaytoGod.orgI hope this helps you.
Jim
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