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Up, Down, All Around
“Do not be overanxious about anything. Go quietly about your duty which the day brings you. Do the best you can; ask God to be your helper. Do what you can, and do not neglect to pray and watch thereunto and in no case neglect your religious duties. Never let your studies interfere with your religious exercises. You want to be obtaining a more thorough knowledge of the will of God as well as to advance in the sciences. If one must be neglected, let it never be religious duties. Go on from day to day doing what you well can, and be content with that. You may say, I do the best I can today and leave what I cannot do without worriment or care. And when tomorrow comes I will, in the fear of the Lord, do what I can on the morrow. Thus from day to day pursue your course of duty, trusting in God to be your helper and to give you quick perception and heavenly wisdom that you may be fitted to honor Him with your talents” (Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, p. 358).
Matthew 6:34 (Contemporary English Version):
“Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (Amplified Bible)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.”
Up, Down, All Around
Story One: Sharia sat on the dirt floor of her family’s home, dressed in rough, dull-colored rags. Around her the women of her family and neighborhood sat in the same way, shoulders slumped. Auntie was wailing in a loud voice; Grandmother was sobbing while two of the other aunties put their arms around her and rubbed her back. Mother scraped a handful of dirt from the floor and rubbed it into her own hair. Sharia’s tears flowed freely down her face.
Her father’s illness had been so sudden. Within a matter of days he was reduced to a thin, shivering ghost of his normal self. Sharia and her family had been surrounded by help and encouragement from their neighbors and relatives. Now the women of the family kept a vigil around his bed, sharing memories, crying, even wailing.
Sharia thought of how her father used to take her on his lap and tell her stories at the end of the day. Overcome by a sudden wave of sorrow, she threw back her head and let out a long, loud sound of sorrow, almost like a howl. She thumped her fist against her chest. He mother gathered Sharia in her arms and rocked her, while all around, the other women made soft sounds of sympathy.
Story Two: Michele sat rigidly on the edge of her bed, wanting to cry but somehow finding that tears wouldn’t come. The whole day seemed like a blur. The funeral home, the church, the graveyard. All day she had stood numbly by her mother’s side, not able to unlock the feelings that tumbled around inside her.
From downstairs she could hear the murmur of hushed voices. Her aunt and uncle were down in the kitchen with Mom. Michele stared at her dad’s picture on the desk. His death had changed everything, yet nobody was talking about it.
The long months while he’s been sick had been horrible—all those hours in the hospital, watching as Dad wasted away. Michele remembered him coaching her soccer team jut last summer, swinging her high in the air when she scored the winning goal.
She heard her aunt’s soft footsteps on the stairs. “Your mom’s going to bed a little early, honey, trying to get some rest,” Aunt Sylvia said. She sat down beside Michele and patted her hand. “I know you must be feeling terrible, sweetie,” she said. “But you’ll try to be a brave girl for your mom and help her out all you can, won’t you?”
Different people from different cultures express feelings in many different ways. Back in Bible times it was quite acceptable for men and women to cry out loud when they were sad, dance with joy, and otherwise express emotions quite openly. It’s still that way in many cultures today, but in some Western countries the rule is often to try to hide your emotions, to show self-control.
Is expressing our feelings right or wrong? Is it OK to express positive feelings but not negative ones? Are there some right or wrong ways to show how you feel? Is the Bible’s advice about feelings relevant in our very different world today?
Matthew 26 (New International Version):
“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. ‘But not during the Feast,’ they said, ‘or there may be a riot among the people.’
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
“When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’
“Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’
“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
“On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’
“He replied, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, “The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” ’ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
“When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.’
“They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’
“Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’
“Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’
“Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’
“Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.’
“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
“Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
"'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’
“Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’
“But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.
“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’
“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’
He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’
“When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
“Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’
“While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.
“Jesus replied, ‘Friend, do what you came for.’
“Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’
“At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
“Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
“Finally two came forward and declared, ‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.” ’
“Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent.
“The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’
‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
“Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered.
“Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 6and said, ‘Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?’
“Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee,’ she said.
“But he denied it before them all. ‘I don't know what you're talking about,’ he said.
“Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.’
“He denied it again, with an oath: ‘I don't know the man!’
“After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "’Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.’
“Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don't know the man! ‘
“Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”
- You have just finished reading the final hours before Jesus was crucified. How many different emotions are mentioned in this chapter of the Bible?
- . What are the emotions that you find and who is expressing them?
- How many of the emotions you found belonged to Jesus?
HERE’S WHAT I THINK
“Grow up! Big kids don’t cry!”
“Don’t show you’re angry. That’s childish. Don’t let anyone know how you feel.”
“If you’re sad, you must not be a good Christian. Christians are happy all the time.”
“Just because you’re happy, you don’t have to act all excited. Be mature. Calm down.”
Ever get any of these messages? What do you hear about expressing feelings? What do you believe? How do you think a Christian should express his or her feelings?
Log on to www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your responses. Be up-front and honest. Say what you think. The lines below are provided as an alternative to posting. You may wish to record your thoughts to share with your class later.
Matthew 7:12
Find the hidden phrase by using the letters directly below each of the blank squares. Each letter is used once.
2 Samuel 6:5-15 (English Standard Version)
“And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD come to me?’ So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
“And it was told King David, ‘The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.’ So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.”
- 1. What emotions are mentioned in this story?
- 2. Who is expressing their emotion and in what way?
- 3. How would you have expressed the same feelings?
So What?
“God made us with emotions, and it’s never wrong to feel. Nor is it necessarily wrong to express what we feel. Our individual personalities and the culture around us will determine how we let our feelings out. The Bible guides us to be careful in how we express emotions. For example, it’s OK, even natural, to be angry, but not to let our anger rule us in such a way that we lose control and hurt others. It’s OK to mourn and express sorrow when we’ve lost someone we love, but even as we do so we should be aware that we have a hope that’s different from what non-Christians have. Nowhere, however, does the Bible say we should lock our emotions up tight and throw away the key.
So if you feel like shouting for joy when you get an A+ on your final exam, go ahead and do it! If an argument with your parents gets you so mad you want to hit something, drag out the punching bag and give it all you’ve got. And when someone has truly hurt your feelings, try telling them honestly: “That really hurt me. I felt bad when you did that.” It’s OK to express your feelings-but not OK to use them as an excuse to hurt others.
Pick one of the following text to memorize after you have looked up the texts and matched the phrase with the text.
- John 15:11 (NIV)
- 2 Samuel 6:14 (NIV)
- Ephesians 4:26 (CEV)
- John 2:13-15 (CEV)
- Matthew 26:38 (NIV)
- Psalm 6:6, 7 (Message)
- Psalm 66:1 (NIV)
- _______ “ Shout with joy . . . “
- _______ “ I have told you this . . .”
- _______ “I’m tired of all this—so . . .”
- _______ “David, wearing a linen . . .”
- _______ “Then [Jesus] said to them . . .’
- _______ “Don’t get angry that . . .”
- _______ “Not long before the Jewish festival . . .”
Ephesians 4 (English Standard Version):
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [pastors] and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!--assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self,which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
“There is a wonderful power in silence. When impatient words are spoken to you, do not retaliate. Words spoken in reply to one who is angry usually act as a whip, lashing the temper into greater fury. But anger met by silence quickly dies away. Let the Christian bridle his tongue, firmly resolving not to speak harsh, impatient words. With the tongue bridled, he may be victorious in every trial of patience through which he is called to pass” (Messages to Young People, p. 134).
What Does This Have to Do With Me?
Where’s God when you’re feeling hurt, or angry, or sad? Sometimes you may feel as if God has disappeared and left you to deal with your life alone. One of the bad things about bad feelings is that they can get in the way of our relationship with God. He’s there, like the sun on a cloudy day, but sometimes we can’t see or feel Him.
That’s when faith comes in. Make it a habit to talk to God, even when you don’t feel good. God’s there, and He’s listening. He can help you find positive ways to deal with strong feelings—like going to talk to a friend who’s hurt you. Rather than letting the friendship freeze to death in silence, or going for a five-mile run rather than breaking a window. God always has a positive solution, a way to deal with any situation. Talk to Him in bad times—and in good times, too.
- 1. Last week we studied about tact and how to treat others. This week we are discussing emotions and how to show others what we are feeling. Should we as Christians be concerned with the way we show our emotions? Explain.
- 2. Why is it important for us to show others how we feel? Or is it important? Did people in the Bible express their feelings? Did Jesus show His feelings?
Psalm 6 (The Message):
“Please, God, no more yelling, no more trips to the woodshed.
Treat me nice for a change;
I'm so starved for affection.
Can't you see I'm black-and-blue,
beat up badly in bones and soul?
God, how long will it take
for you to let up?
Break in, God, and break up this fight;
if you love me at all, get me out of here.
I'm no good to you dead, am I?
I can't sing in your choir if I'm buried in some tomb!
I'm tired of all this—so tired. My bed
has been floating forty days and nights
On the flood of my tears.
My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears.
The sockets of my eyes are black holes;
nearly blind, I squint and grope.
Get out of here, you Devil's crew:
at last God has heard my sobs.
My requests have all been granted,
my prayers are answered.
Cowards, my enemies disappear.
Disgraced, they turn tail and run.”
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Try sharing some emotions with someone else. Write a card or letter to a friend or family member telling them how something they do or don’t do makes you feel. You can write a thank you to someone who’s made you really happy and explain how they have made your life brighter. If you have a lot of negative feelings toward someone—anger or hurt –it will help to get those feelings out on paper too.
Be sure to send or deliver a positive letter right away; depending on the situation and the person, you may not want to send the letter expressing negative feelings (sometimes just getting the words down on paper will do you good even if the other person never reads it). If you want to send it, first talk it over with an adult you trust.
After you write your letter, take a moment to pray for that person and for your relationship with him or her.
How do you usually show your feelings? Anger, frustration, happiness, joy, sadness, etc. List the feeling or emotion.Tell how you usually express your feelings. Then think about this week’s lesson. Could you do something different to show your emotion?