Young children are transparent with their emotions. We can accurately guess what the screaming toddler in the grocery store might be feeling, or what the crying child is feeling when she’s left out of the game. Once we grow older, we learn to put the right vocabulary behind our emotions, and we even become adept at hiding our feelings when necessary.
One of the most emotional passages in the gospels is the story of the death of Lazarus in John 11. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother was sick, but Jesus did not arrive on the scene until four days after Lazarus’ death. Martha confronts him in her grief and resentment, saying “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” And Mary is quick to weep at Jesus’ feet. Jesus also wept for his friend.
Having emotions is part of being human, but sometimes we can assign a moral value to our feelings, causing us to feel shame around our anger, frustration, and resentment. This makes us hesitate to bring our authentic selves in prayer to God. The Psalms show us that when we are experiencing pain, suffering, or hardship we can cry out to God in our confusion, our sorrow, even our anger. God already knows our thoughts from afar, Psalm 139 reassures us. We won’t surprise God or hurt God’s feelings with our honest emotions.
Peter Scazzero, in his book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality says: “Ignoring our emotions is turning our back on reality. Listening to our emotions ushers us into reality. And reality is where we meet God. (…) Emotions are the language of the soul.”
What if we became more honest about our emotions and used them to connect with God in our present reality? Spiritual maturity involves bringing our whole selves—including our messy emotions—to God and speaking to him with the language of our soul.
God makes it clear to us in his Word that he cares for us and welcomes us. Just like a child, we can be our authentic selves with him. And when we lay our feelings at his feet, we no longer need to be ruled by them or overwhelmed by them, like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Rather we can be reminded by the truth in his Word, and be comforted by his peace which surpasses our understanding.
What is your emotional temperature today? How might your feelings be leading you to God?
This devotional is part of a 5-part series! Read the introduction here, and sign up below to receive the password to access the full 5-day devotional in my Freebie page! In addition, you’ll get The Scoop twice a month—packed with the best posts, podcast recommendations, and resources to help you grow your faith as a busy woman.
Sarah K. Butterfield 
One thought on “On Cultivating a Childlike Faith: Honesty and Authenticity”