Did you know that God tells us how to feel when we worship? That’s right. Paradoxically, He gave us emotions upon our installation on this earth and then makes sure that we know just how He wants us to feel. Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself.

You must not worship the LORD your God in their way.  But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;  there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.  There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.      —Deuteronomy 12:4-7 (NIV) Emphasis mine.

God reserves the right to dictate policy in worship. He determines the place, the mode and the attitude that the worshiper must employ in order to approach His Majesty. Still not convinced? Read the rest of the chapter, study the Feasts of the Lord and then do a word search on “rejoice.” If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

It seems God got it into His head that He has the right to tell us how to feel (Reminds me of Mom. “You will eat those peas, and you will like them!). We’ve screwed up His trust in us to use our emotions properly, so He lays it out for us plainly. You see, most of the time I won’t cry over social injustice, but I will take up an entire hour in worship whining about how I don’t feel important. My priorities are messed up, as indicated by my emotions.

God gave us emotions as indicators of our heart’s condition. Lights on the dashboard, if you will. When the oil light’s on, I check the oil and make adjustments. When the seat belt light’s on, I click it so I don’t get a ticket. When the engine light’s on, I ignore it (Who knows what those things are for anyway? My mechanic sure doesn’t.). The lights were never meant to stay on forever. I take care of them and they go away; I don’t obsess over them. They’re transient, temporary systems.

Emotions should not control us. Like the lights on the dashboard,  we’re supposed to watch them and then make adjustments. They are not supposed to stay on forever. In the Bible, God sets His standard for emotions (This is what it looks like when the dashboard lights are off.). He created a sense of normal for emotions. If we never knew what was normal, we would never know what abnormal is (This is what it looks like when the dashboard lights are on.) in order to make adjustments.

Our emotions should change when we are in worship. Through the divine exchange of worship, we ascend to God’s emotions. When you come before the throne of grace, give God your sorrows, worries and grievances. Let them go. Then receive the feelings of rejoicing, peace and contentment that He has waiting for you.

Normally, is it easy for you to let go of your negative emotions? How do you bring your heart under control?