Welcome to 10 minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life.

In the time it takes to get to work, I'm Keith Simon.

I think a lot of Christians are confused about the role emotions play in the Christian life. Since becoming a Christian, I've always been

wary of my emotions, unsure of exactly what to do with them.

Right after I became a Christian in college, I started participating in a Christian campus

ministry, and in some of their materials that they used, they had what they called the train diagram.

It was a really simple diagram. There were three cars in the train. The first was the locomotive and it's identified as fact.

The second car is the cold car and it's labeled as faith. The last car or the caboose is labeled feelings.

The booklet explained that the train would run without the caboose, but it didn't make sense

to pull the train by the caboose.

So the point seemed pretty clear. Facts drive or faith and feelings are optional.

The diagram taught that you don't want your faith to be led by your feelings. And I understand that perspective and you probably do too.

Because I'm sure we've all seen people who we describe as being driven by their emotions.

We've seen people make unwise decisions based on how they feel in any given moment.

We also know how quickly our own emotional state can change, which makes us hesitant to count on our emotions.

We've probably even asked someone, why are you being so emotional,

and then told them to get their act together?

But I don't think that denigrating emotions is faithful to the Bible.

Here's Philippians chapter 3 verse 1.

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

Did you catch that rejoice in the Lord?

This is a command to experience the emotion of joy.

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