Emotions Shouldn't Drive

Have you ever felt two very different emotions at the same time? It could be your first time starting a varsity game, and you are both excited and fearful. You are excited to finally get your shot but fearful of if you will play well. Maybe it’s your last game coaching a team you have loved dearly, and you are sad about leaving but also anticipating what’s next for your career.

It’s confusing when our emotions collide; we don’t know how to feel or if we are doing something wrong by having mixed feelings. The passage above is one of my favorites because it shows us that mixed emotions were at play in one of the most spectacular moments of history.

In Matthew 28, we see that Mary Magdalene and Mary were confronted by an angel telling them that Jesus is alive and not dead in the tomb. They were tasked with going to tell the others about this great news. As they left the tomb, they were both excited about this news and fearful. They weren’t condemned for their feelings of fear; all we are given is an insight into how human they really were.

From our point of view, 2,000 years later, we might not see a need for their fear, but in this conversation with an angel, fear was OK. But they didn’t let that fear stop them from running to tell the disciples the good news. They were obedient in the face of fear and didn’t let fear or excitement stop them from doing what was asked of them.

It’s OK to have strong emotions; what isn’t OK is letting those emotions stop us from doing what we are called for in God’s kingdom.