The Relationship Principles of Jesus: Day 11

In Chapter 11, the author deals with the theme "Feelings are important!"  It can be seen clearly the importance of feelings in the mind of the author.  On page 103, Halladay states, "He wept.  He took his own emotions seriously, and so he expressed those emotions openly and then chose to act lovingly."  To further enhance this point, the author says, "you see a man filled with emotion.  You see his emotion in his tender compassion for a man ravaged by leprosy...You experience the depth of his feelings in his wrenching distress as he prays in Gethsemane about his impending death on the cross."

Later in this chapter, the author states that Anger is an emotion, not a sin.  This statement is very important and crucial.  "What we do with our anger is often sinful, but it doesn`t have to be.  Jesus was angry when necessary, but he never sinned."  In other words, Jesus let his emotions show.  However, he didn`t allow the emotions to overtake him.  He dealt with these emotions by denying himself.  It is this example that makes us all want to strive and live like Him in all we do.

To end the chapter, Halladay ends with a contrast between Ernest Hemingway and Ernest Fowler.  "Ernest Hemingway took his life; Ernest Fowler gave his life.  The author`s emotions drove him to a life of excitement and excess; the missionary heart called him to go to a dangerous place and serve a people noticed by very few others, a people whom God dearly loved. One man`s emotions drove him to destruction; the other`s called him to sacrifice."