Controlling emotions and thoughts vs logic. 1 of 3
Hi all,
About 6 years ago I wrote a Weekly Thoughts series on this subject, but things have changed radically since 2019, so it is worth updating. In part 1 of this series we'll look at how society and Christian culture has changed by social media, resulting in millions of people who live by emotion-based decisions. They have lost or never had the skills to balance emotion and logic. In parts 2 and 3 look at how to gain balance in our lives, balancing emotional and logic in Christ.
When I was on staff with a megachurch (1994-2000) the pastor asked what I thought of the rise of 'seeker sensitive' or 'seeker friendly' churches. My pastor had an altar call at every service, but churches who fashioned their services after rock concerts and feel-good theology were on the rise. Feelings, positive thinking, and measuring one's walk with God by how one felt and how smoothly life was going, began to dominate. Altar calls and the mention of sin and repentance in church services became rare.
How people felt about themselves and the Lord replaced learning and logic and careful analysis of the Word of God. Many believers of all ages have lost the ability to make the Word of God their final authority, choosing to make what they feel their final authority. While our context is Christians, people living by emotion rather than logic is seen in every segment of society.
Living by feelings means life can never be settled, because emotions are up and down like a roller coaster depending on what input one receives or thoughts and fears they feel. This leads to instability in life because in their thinking they are as fluid as water, which can only result in confusion, anger, turmoil and emotional and mental illness. James wrote in 3:15 wisdom from the earth is based on senses (feelings). The wisdom from above is pure, peaceful, gentle, easily approached.
II Corinthians 10:5
"...overthrowing thoughts and imaginations that rise up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ;"
A study was done by the RAND Corporation published in 2019 called 'News for a Digital Age', where they studied the way news was communicated over the span of the previous 30 years. They and other studies found that before roughly 2007 news delivered facts, analysis looking at both sides of an issue, and event reporting without emotional appeal.
After 2007 which coincided with the very rapid rise of social media, including Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube, news switched to be delivered with emotional content. Specifically, news reporting became subjective rather than objective. It focused on an argumentative style advocating a particular viewpoint, rather than just reporting facts. Fear, negativity, disgust, sadness, and anger became linked to headlines and social media. Proportionally, emotion-neutral headlines, analysis, and content reporting decreased.
The Christians who have been in Christ since at least the year 2000 or who have come to Christ between then and now, have only known information communicated through emotion. Think about that. How many millions of believers have no idea how to reason, and bring thoughts and emotions captive to Christ? In seeker-friendly churches the word 'discipline' is rarely heard. Teaching on how to take control of one's thoughts and feelings, which is quite difficult if it is a new skill, requires more than just 1 Sunday sermon. It requires effort on the part of the person, and very helpful to have someone alongside them to help them battle thoughts and feelings to bring them captive to Christ's thinking.
So it is natural they view their walk with the Lord the same way:If they feel saved, if they feel His is close, if they feel it then it must be true. They've never learned how to think properly, by analysis and logic, balancing feelings with fact. They never learned to make chapter and verse the final authority in part, because their feelings will lead them to search out every verse that supports their fear of losing their salvation or fear of not being good enough. (Fill in the blank for other fears, worries, self-unforgiveness, doubt topics)
They feel therefore it is fact. They react instantly with emotion, having never learned how to hear both sides without offense before forming an opinion. They've been taught to react rather than respond. A reaction is instantaneous, a response is measured, thought out, a combination of logic and emotion, often presenting a longer term solution or thought - a 'big picture'. A reaction only sees the here and now.
The generation from 2000 onward
An MIT study in 2018 found that emotion filled content spread faster and reached more people than true news based on analysis and fact. A New York University paper found that when social media introduced the 'Like' button, algorithms rewarded those emotions good or bad by sending more content as what they 'liked.'
Algorithms amplify the topic's impact by tracking what a person has viewed on a social media platform, then steers similar topics from similar social media influencers to them. All those voices work to confirm that topic of interest to the exclusion of any other viewpoint. That means all they see is that one side because that's what the algorithms keep sending them. When that happens a person has lost the ability to use common sense, logic, and reasoning.
We see this in obsession with topics ranging from the shape of the earth to aliens inhabiting human bodies living among us, to UFOs and aliens, to near-death experiences or obsession with extreme giving or fasting - fill in the blank. These are all peripheral things that should remain 'out there' on the fringes while in our daily life we seek the Lord and His kingdom in our lives. What is Jesus asking of me today? How can I grow in Christ-like character today? How can I renew my mind to think as He thinks on this or that subject?
When Paul and Peter were listing the fruit of the Spirit and Christian character, they also cautioned against spending time on things that are controversial or stir up strifes, knowing they cause confusion and dissent. It isn't always fun to grow in Christ, but it is fun to see the latest 'buzz' on this or that site.
Satan wants instability while God offers peace and stability. Putting things in God's order is a process, starting with learning how to control emotions and thoughts and learning to think according to His ways. That's for next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
Hi all,
About 6 years ago I wrote a Weekly Thoughts series on this subject, but things have changed radically since 2019, so it is worth updating. In part 1 of this series we'll look at how society and Christian culture has changed by social media, resulting in millions of people who live by emotion-based decisions. They have lost or never had the skills to balance emotion and logic. In parts 2 and 3 look at how to gain balance in our lives, balancing emotional and logic in Christ.
When I was on staff with a megachurch (1994-2000) the pastor asked what I thought of the rise of 'seeker sensitive' or 'seeker friendly' churches. My pastor had an altar call at every service, but churches who fashioned their services after rock concerts and feel-good theology were on the rise. Feelings, positive thinking, and measuring one's walk with God by how one felt and how smoothly life was going, began to dominate. Altar calls and the mention of sin and repentance in church services became rare.
How people felt about themselves and the Lord replaced learning and logic and careful analysis of the Word of God. Many believers of all ages have lost the ability to make the Word of God their final authority, choosing to make what they feel their final authority. While our context is Christians, people living by emotion rather than logic is seen in every segment of society.
Living by feelings means life can never be settled, because emotions are up and down like a roller coaster depending on what input one receives or thoughts and fears they feel. This leads to instability in life because in their thinking they are as fluid as water, which can only result in confusion, anger, turmoil and emotional and mental illness. James wrote in 3:15 wisdom from the earth is based on senses (feelings). The wisdom from above is pure, peaceful, gentle, easily approached.
II Corinthians 10:5
"...overthrowing thoughts and imaginations that rise up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ;"
A study was done by the RAND Corporation published in 2019 called 'News for a Digital Age', where they studied the way news was communicated over the span of the previous 30 years. They and other studies found that before roughly 2007 news delivered facts, analysis looking at both sides of an issue, and event reporting without emotional appeal.
After 2007 which coincided with the very rapid rise of social media, including Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube, news switched to be delivered with emotional content. Specifically, news reporting became subjective rather than objective. It focused on an argumentative style advocating a particular viewpoint, rather than just reporting facts. Fear, negativity, disgust, sadness, and anger became linked to headlines and social media. Proportionally, emotion-neutral headlines, analysis, and content reporting decreased.
The Christians who have been in Christ since at least the year 2000 or who have come to Christ between then and now, have only known information communicated through emotion. Think about that. How many millions of believers have no idea how to reason, and bring thoughts and emotions captive to Christ? In seeker-friendly churches the word 'discipline' is rarely heard. Teaching on how to take control of one's thoughts and feelings, which is quite difficult if it is a new skill, requires more than just 1 Sunday sermon. It requires effort on the part of the person, and very helpful to have someone alongside them to help them battle thoughts and feelings to bring them captive to Christ's thinking.
So it is natural they view their walk with the Lord the same way:If they feel saved, if they feel His is close, if they feel it then it must be true. They've never learned how to think properly, by analysis and logic, balancing feelings with fact. They never learned to make chapter and verse the final authority in part, because their feelings will lead them to search out every verse that supports their fear of losing their salvation or fear of not being good enough. (Fill in the blank for other fears, worries, self-unforgiveness, doubt topics)
They feel therefore it is fact. They react instantly with emotion, having never learned how to hear both sides without offense before forming an opinion. They've been taught to react rather than respond. A reaction is instantaneous, a response is measured, thought out, a combination of logic and emotion, often presenting a longer term solution or thought - a 'big picture'. A reaction only sees the here and now.
The generation from 2000 onward
An MIT study in 2018 found that emotion filled content spread faster and reached more people than true news based on analysis and fact. A New York University paper found that when social media introduced the 'Like' button, algorithms rewarded those emotions good or bad by sending more content as what they 'liked.'
Algorithms amplify the topic's impact by tracking what a person has viewed on a social media platform, then steers similar topics from similar social media influencers to them. All those voices work to confirm that topic of interest to the exclusion of any other viewpoint. That means all they see is that one side because that's what the algorithms keep sending them. When that happens a person has lost the ability to use common sense, logic, and reasoning.
We see this in obsession with topics ranging from the shape of the earth to aliens inhabiting human bodies living among us, to UFOs and aliens, to near-death experiences or obsession with extreme giving or fasting - fill in the blank. These are all peripheral things that should remain 'out there' on the fringes while in our daily life we seek the Lord and His kingdom in our lives. What is Jesus asking of me today? How can I grow in Christ-like character today? How can I renew my mind to think as He thinks on this or that subject?
When Paul and Peter were listing the fruit of the Spirit and Christian character, they also cautioned against spending time on things that are controversial or stir up strifes, knowing they cause confusion and dissent. It isn't always fun to grow in Christ, but it is fun to see the latest 'buzz' on this or that site.
Satan wants instability while God offers peace and stability. Putting things in God's order is a process, starting with learning how to control emotions and thoughts and learning to think according to His ways. That's for next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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