Emotional Honesty

“He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed.” (Mark 14:33 NLT)

A friend of mine has diabetic neuropathy. She has lost the ability to feel pain in her extremities. She unknowingly hurts herself since she has lost the instinct to pull back from harmful situations. This has led to several injuries, bruises, and burns.

Denying our feelings can lead to unintentional damage. Many Christians repress emotions that they deem inappropriate: anger, depression, fear, frustration, disappointment. They imagine that desensitization is part of holiness. It isn’t.  Jesus was not ashamed of his feelings. He expressed anguish, anger, and disappointment.

Acknowledging, accepting, and articulating our feelings takes practice and energy, especially if those feelings are unpleasant. Yet, the alternative is inauthenticity, which is soul crushing. We do not have to divulge every unfiltered thought to others; we can choose to feel our feelings, write them out, and process them on our own. This allows careful consideration of our next response instead of overreaction.  Once we decide to share our thoughts, it may lead to some push back. We need to accept the resulting discomfort as part of the process. Vulnerability is integral to emotional honesty. Let us not settle for superficial relationships but dive deep, revealing our true selves.