A World Without Emotion

By Andrea Merrell

Many years ago, I watched a bizarre, sci-fi TV show (it might have been Twilight Zone or something by Alfred Hitchcock) where a crowd of people were all walking in the same direction. No conversation took place, only the shuffling of hundreds of feet. Blank faces and empty eyes spoke of a dreary existence. No joy. No excitement. No hope. No purpose. No emotion whatsoever.

How depressing.

I thought about this scenario one day when thanking the Lord for smiles, laughter, and even tears. How wonderful that God gave us not only a mind and the will to choose, He gave us a variety of emotions so we can experience life to the fullest.

Now, we all know it’s not healthy to be led or ruled by our feelings, but can you even imagine a world devoid of emotion?

Think about a smile. It’s a universal language. I once heard a missionary say that when he reached his mission field, he couldn’t speak the language and found it hard to communicate with the people without an interpreter present. But he quickly learned that a smile can break even the hardest barrier. Psalm 43:5 says, “He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God" (MSG).

Then there’s laughter. What would we do without it? According to the Mayo clinic, laughter not only reduces stress, it can stimulate changes in our body. It enhances the intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates the heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins released by our brain. A good belly-laugh can increase and then decrease our heart rate and blood pressure, stimulate circulation, and aid muscle relaxation. Laughter is also known to relieve pain and improve our immune system. No wonder the Bible says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV).

And what about tears? Do you remember the last time you had a good cry? Sometimes it’s the best release of tension we can experience. Whether the tears are happy or sad, what a blessing to be able to shed them freely and know that God keeps account of every single one. The psalmist wrote, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8 NLT).

The next time you thank God for His abundant blessings, be sure to thank Him for the gift of emotions.

 

 Photo by Dominik Lalic on Unsplash

Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash