Emotions Do Not Make An Identity

I am sad.

I am afraid.

I am angry.

I am happy.

I am excited.

We say or think statements like these regularly. It’s a natural part of conversation and connecting with others, a way to express our experience.

But does it have to be our identity?

Think about it: by making a statement like that, you’re declaring you ARE one of those emotions. 

But it isn’t true.

You might be experiencing the emotion or feeling it deeply (or denying to yourself that you even feel emotions) in a particular moment, but it does not define you. 

What if we changed how we talked about emotions? 

I am feeling sad.

I am feeling afraid.

I am feeling angry.

I am feeling happy.

I am feeling excited.

Emotions are indicators something else is going on inside us. Maybe we’re angry because we’ve been hurt. Maybe we’re excited because something we have been waiting for finally happened. We can use them to help us process and understand, but they are not necessarily trustworthy to reflect truth and fact. Yes, it’s true you’re feeling angry, but why are you feeling angry? Is a misunderstanding? Is it a misperception of something? Is there something that legitimately requires attention to correct?

Emotions tell us what our current perception is. They are valid to feel, but what we do with the awareness (or lack thereof) of our emotions matters the most.

Which brings me back to identity. Our emotions are not who we are. 

By disconnecting emotions with our identity, it frees us up to more honestly and objectively evaluate our emotional experience. It no longer becomes about putting your identity on the line. Your identity is set. It was claimed when Christ died on the cross for you. So let’s change our language. Let’s call them what they are: a feeling in the moment (or season). Let’s allow the Lord to use emotions that come up to guide us to become more of who He wanted us to be and more deeply connected to those around us. 

Emotions do not make an identity, and what a relief that is!

So, what emotions are you experiencing this week? What kind of relationship do you have with emotions? Do you see them as weak and untrustworthy? Are they identities you take on unintentionally? How could you use them to draw you into a deeper connection with the Father in heaven?