John Edmiston has thoroughly researched the scriptures to bring a Biblical perspective to help you understanding and master your emotions. Like most things, the Bible has much to say about our emotional lives and how our emotions are to be redeemed and made Christ-like - or in our modern vernacular - intelligent.
The full set of teaching is broken into 10 parts and will take about 10 hours, but you must realize that is is essential to invest time in unlocking your destiny. A sound, mature, intelligent and Christ-like emotional state is critically important.
The full set of teaching is broken into 10 parts and will take about 10 hours, but you must realize that is is essential to invest time in unlocking your destiny. A sound, mature, intelligent and Christ-like emotional state is critically important.
Something like 85% of your success in life is directly linked to your emotional intelligence. The information in the "read more" section is the notes from John Edmiston's presentation. Read along or use them to study the concepts later. John presents a lot of deep and meaty concepts in a fairly concise manner. It helped me to review the notes below during and after his presentation to solidify the teaching. Take the time to learn this - it is worth the effort - and this subject matter is a real key to unlocking your destiny.
What is EQ?
EQ is emotional intelligence, just like IQ is analytical intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the term we use to describe a complex set of human abilities related to emotional management.
The four key aspects of emotional intelligence (Mayer & Salovey) are: 1. Emotional identification, perception and expression 2. Emotional facilitation of thought 3. Emotional understanding 4. Emotional management
What Is Biblical EQ?
Biblical EQ seeks a biblical understanding of our emotions. It is based on the emotional life of Jesus Christ. It believes Christ redeemed our emotions. It believes we are to become Christ-like in all aspects – including our emotional life. It draws on both secular and Christian insights. It uses the life and ministry of Jesus as the model and the integrating point.
The Advantages Of Biblical EQ
It has as its model the emotional life of Jesus Christ with His personal presence, self-control, emotional expressiveness and discernment of situations. Thus it has a clear pattern, a master plan that can be used to analyse theories and to determine what is true and false, wise and unwise. Secular theories have no "ideal person" to point to - they merely assemble ideals from their own theories and worldview. In Jesus we have a model , a guide, a point to aim our teaching towards and this is invaluable.
EQ is emotional intelligence, just like IQ is analytical intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the term we use to describe a complex set of human abilities related to emotional management.
The four key aspects of emotional intelligence (Mayer & Salovey) are: 1. Emotional identification, perception and expression 2. Emotional facilitation of thought 3. Emotional understanding 4. Emotional management
What Is Biblical EQ?
Biblical EQ seeks a biblical understanding of our emotions. It is based on the emotional life of Jesus Christ. It believes Christ redeemed our emotions. It believes we are to become Christ-like in all aspects – including our emotional life. It draws on both secular and Christian insights. It uses the life and ministry of Jesus as the model and the integrating point.
The Advantages Of Biblical EQ
It has as its model the emotional life of Jesus Christ with His personal presence, self-control, emotional expressiveness and discernment of situations. Thus it has a clear pattern, a master plan that can be used to analyse theories and to determine what is true and false, wise and unwise. Secular theories have no "ideal person" to point to - they merely assemble ideals from their own theories and worldview. In Jesus we have a model , a guide, a point to aim our teaching towards and this is invaluable.
The Power To Change
To get answers that genuinely help people we need two things, a clear destination, and the power to get there in a reasonable amount of time. Our clear destination is the image of Christ Jesus, our power to get there is the infilling with, and transforming work of, the Holy Spirit.
The Seven Things We Need To Renew
Renewing our basic perceptions of reality and our perspective on life. Renewing our individual belief system. Renewing the purposes and intents of our heart. Renewing our physical bodies and their influence on our emotions. Renewing our ability to be aware of and to understand our own emotions. Renewing our ability to understand the emotions of other people. Renewing our ability to appropriately express emotion according to the desire of the Holy Spirit.
What Kind Of Emotions Should Christians Have?
While God is an emotional and conscious Being there are some emotions that God never has. God is never envious, lustful, greedy, bitter with selfish ambition, small-minded, or petty. Neither is he anxious or fretful but dwells in perfect peace. His emotions are positive, holy, noble and appropriate. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Since we are called to be “in the image of God”, then whatever else that means, it means that at the end of our Christian maturity, our emotions should in some measure share these divine qualities. We should be “walking in the light”.
To get answers that genuinely help people we need two things, a clear destination, and the power to get there in a reasonable amount of time. Our clear destination is the image of Christ Jesus, our power to get there is the infilling with, and transforming work of, the Holy Spirit.
The Seven Things We Need To Renew
Renewing our basic perceptions of reality and our perspective on life. Renewing our individual belief system. Renewing the purposes and intents of our heart. Renewing our physical bodies and their influence on our emotions. Renewing our ability to be aware of and to understand our own emotions. Renewing our ability to understand the emotions of other people. Renewing our ability to appropriately express emotion according to the desire of the Holy Spirit.
What Kind Of Emotions Should Christians Have?
While God is an emotional and conscious Being there are some emotions that God never has. God is never envious, lustful, greedy, bitter with selfish ambition, small-minded, or petty. Neither is he anxious or fretful but dwells in perfect peace. His emotions are positive, holy, noble and appropriate. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Since we are called to be “in the image of God”, then whatever else that means, it means that at the end of our Christian maturity, our emotions should in some measure share these divine qualities. We should be “walking in the light”.
Holy Emotions
Holy emotions are those emotions experienced by God such as compassion, joy, and holy indignation and those that accompany life in the Spirit such as praise, worship and adoration. Holy emotions are derived from the kingdom of light and the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21, Colossians 3:16-17, Galatians 5:22,23) and are in agreement with true wisdom (James 3:17,18) Holy emotions are the emotions of Christ in us. Holy emotions are not necessarily religious or pious emotions. Admiring a flower or delighting in beautiful music or focusing on the beautiful and the good can also be holy. (Philippians 4:8)
Human Emotions
Human emotions are based in our human situation and the created order and shared by Jesus during His time on earth. Human emotions includes emotions such as grief, pain, fear, abandonment, sadness and sorrow, anxiety, stress, anguish and vulnerability. Human emotions are well chronicled in the Psalms. For the Christian “human emotions: are temporary and in eternity there shall be no more crying or sadness or pain (Revelation 21:4). While these emotions may feel bad they are not evil or toxic. They can be painful but they are not poisonous.
Fleshly Emotions
Fleshly emotions are poisonous and destructive and include toxic emotions such as malice, envy, selfish ambition, sensuality, bitterness, overpowering lusts and murderous hatred. Fleshly emotions result in the works of the flesh and in evil deeds. Their outcome is spiritual death. Fleshly emotions were not part of mankind at Creation and are not “natural human reactions” (For instance grief is a natural human reaction but bitterness is fleshly. One can have “good grief” without a trace of bitterness. Bitterness is not natural to the human condition.) Rather these emotions have their source in a dark wisdom (James 3:14-16).
Holy emotions are those emotions experienced by God such as compassion, joy, and holy indignation and those that accompany life in the Spirit such as praise, worship and adoration. Holy emotions are derived from the kingdom of light and the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21, Colossians 3:16-17, Galatians 5:22,23) and are in agreement with true wisdom (James 3:17,18) Holy emotions are the emotions of Christ in us. Holy emotions are not necessarily religious or pious emotions. Admiring a flower or delighting in beautiful music or focusing on the beautiful and the good can also be holy. (Philippians 4:8)
Human Emotions
Human emotions are based in our human situation and the created order and shared by Jesus during His time on earth. Human emotions includes emotions such as grief, pain, fear, abandonment, sadness and sorrow, anxiety, stress, anguish and vulnerability. Human emotions are well chronicled in the Psalms. For the Christian “human emotions: are temporary and in eternity there shall be no more crying or sadness or pain (Revelation 21:4). While these emotions may feel bad they are not evil or toxic. They can be painful but they are not poisonous.
Fleshly Emotions
Fleshly emotions are poisonous and destructive and include toxic emotions such as malice, envy, selfish ambition, sensuality, bitterness, overpowering lusts and murderous hatred. Fleshly emotions result in the works of the flesh and in evil deeds. Their outcome is spiritual death. Fleshly emotions were not part of mankind at Creation and are not “natural human reactions” (For instance grief is a natural human reaction but bitterness is fleshly. One can have “good grief” without a trace of bitterness. Bitterness is not natural to the human condition.) Rather these emotions have their source in a dark wisdom (James 3:14-16).
Choosing Our Emotional Level
We are thus called to participate in the holy emotions so that they transcend the human emotions and overcome the fleshly emotions. We must choose our emotional level and decide which emotions we will have in our lives. When disappointment strikes we can choose to:Respond with holy emotions and pray through until we trust God and can praise Him as the Psalmist did Respond at the human level and sit down disconsolate in human misery and gradually see it through. Respond from fleshly emotions and lash out in anger, bitterness, distrust and revenge.
Why The Mess?
One of the greatest obstacles to emotional health in Christian circles is that we simply don't understand our emotions or we lack proper mechanisms for dealing with them. Many Christians are ignorant of Scriptural teaching on emotional life and so are left stranded with a few basic techniques that barely scratch the surface of the problem.
Judging Ourselves And Others
In a puzzling , almost paradoxical way, we also take our emotions too seriously and make them the source of our spiritual self-esteem. When we feel holy and good and positive we judge ourselves as being "up" spiritually and when we are feeling distant or depressed we judge ourselves as being "down" spiritually. In fact the connection between emotions and spirituality is fairly loose. Some very happy optimistic people are carnal and worldly, while some serious gloomy types are deeply spiritual - and the reverse applies as well.
We are thus called to participate in the holy emotions so that they transcend the human emotions and overcome the fleshly emotions. We must choose our emotional level and decide which emotions we will have in our lives. When disappointment strikes we can choose to:Respond with holy emotions and pray through until we trust God and can praise Him as the Psalmist did Respond at the human level and sit down disconsolate in human misery and gradually see it through. Respond from fleshly emotions and lash out in anger, bitterness, distrust and revenge.
Why The Mess?
One of the greatest obstacles to emotional health in Christian circles is that we simply don't understand our emotions or we lack proper mechanisms for dealing with them. Many Christians are ignorant of Scriptural teaching on emotional life and so are left stranded with a few basic techniques that barely scratch the surface of the problem.
Judging Ourselves And Others
In a puzzling , almost paradoxical way, we also take our emotions too seriously and make them the source of our spiritual self-esteem. When we feel holy and good and positive we judge ourselves as being "up" spiritually and when we are feeling distant or depressed we judge ourselves as being "down" spiritually. In fact the connection between emotions and spirituality is fairly loose. Some very happy optimistic people are carnal and worldly, while some serious gloomy types are deeply spiritual - and the reverse applies as well.
Are Emotions Important?
The common observation of philosophers and theologians as diverse as Aristotle and C.S. Lewis has been that right affections and emotions form the basis for right morality. If we love the good and abhor the evil we are far more likely to be good. And if we hate bribes and value integrity we are far more likely to be honest.
Emotions And Justice
In biblical terms the person who is right emotionally loves good and hates evil. In their emotions they value what God values. The emotionally perfected Christian is not just “together” or integrated in the secular sense. Rather they are righteous and just and holy and perfectly loving. Our emotions undergird our choices and our choices form the foundations for our character and destiny.
Jesus As Our Model
It is one of the key teachings of Christianity that our Master and Model is Jesus Christ and we are to be conformed into His image and be like Him in all respects. (Romans 8:29 NASB) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; (Ephesians 4:15 NASB) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.
The common observation of philosophers and theologians as diverse as Aristotle and C.S. Lewis has been that right affections and emotions form the basis for right morality. If we love the good and abhor the evil we are far more likely to be good. And if we hate bribes and value integrity we are far more likely to be honest.
Emotions And Justice
In biblical terms the person who is right emotionally loves good and hates evil. In their emotions they value what God values. The emotionally perfected Christian is not just “together” or integrated in the secular sense. Rather they are righteous and just and holy and perfectly loving. Our emotions undergird our choices and our choices form the foundations for our character and destiny.
Jesus As Our Model
It is one of the key teachings of Christianity that our Master and Model is Jesus Christ and we are to be conformed into His image and be like Him in all respects. (Romans 8:29 NASB) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; (Ephesians 4:15 NASB) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.
Is Jesus Christ An Appropriate Model For Emotional Maturity?
Objections : The standard's too high. He was God and sinless, I'm neither. There isn't enough information in Scripture to make a judgment. He was Jewish and lived 2000 years ago. Jesus was a prophet and had the emotions of a prophet. Jesus? High EQ? Kind of lacking in social skills if you ask me! I'm much more tactful and artful than that.
Jesus Had Emotions
Jesus experienced: Hunger (Matthew 4:2, 21:18), Thirst (John 19:28) , Fatigue (John 4:6) , He rejoiced at the end of the sending out of the seventy-two (Luke 10:21), marveled at the faith of the centurion (Matthew 8:10) and felt love for the rich, young ruler (Mark 10:21) . His most frequent emotion is compassion which is recorded 11 times in the gospels (e.g. Matthew 9:36). Anger was part of life for Jesus such as when He became angry at the Pharisees for their hardened cruelty (Mark 3:5) . Zeal for God's honor caused Him to cleanse the temple (John 2:17).
More of Jesus’ Emotions
Jesus grew in stature and in wisdom and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52) was subjected to high-powered temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) and learned obedience without sinning (Hebrews 5:8-9) . He had some of life's more painful emotions as well. For instance He wept (Luke 19:41, John 11:35) , His soul was troubled (John 12:27) and a while later He was "troubled in spirit" (John 13:21) . Jesus underwent extreme emotional distress to the point of death (Matthew 26:36-41) and prayed with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7) . Finally of course he experienced an agonizing death on a cross. (Matthew 27:34-54) with its attendant feelings of abandonment (Matthew 27:46).
Objections : The standard's too high. He was God and sinless, I'm neither. There isn't enough information in Scripture to make a judgment. He was Jewish and lived 2000 years ago. Jesus was a prophet and had the emotions of a prophet. Jesus? High EQ? Kind of lacking in social skills if you ask me! I'm much more tactful and artful than that.
Jesus Had Emotions
Jesus experienced: Hunger (Matthew 4:2, 21:18), Thirst (John 19:28) , Fatigue (John 4:6) , He rejoiced at the end of the sending out of the seventy-two (Luke 10:21), marveled at the faith of the centurion (Matthew 8:10) and felt love for the rich, young ruler (Mark 10:21) . His most frequent emotion is compassion which is recorded 11 times in the gospels (e.g. Matthew 9:36). Anger was part of life for Jesus such as when He became angry at the Pharisees for their hardened cruelty (Mark 3:5) . Zeal for God's honor caused Him to cleanse the temple (John 2:17).
More of Jesus’ Emotions
Jesus grew in stature and in wisdom and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52) was subjected to high-powered temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) and learned obedience without sinning (Hebrews 5:8-9) . He had some of life's more painful emotions as well. For instance He wept (Luke 19:41, John 11:35) , His soul was troubled (John 12:27) and a while later He was "troubled in spirit" (John 13:21) . Jesus underwent extreme emotional distress to the point of death (Matthew 26:36-41) and prayed with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7) . Finally of course he experienced an agonizing death on a cross. (Matthew 27:34-54) with its attendant feelings of abandonment (Matthew 27:46).
The Day Jesus Changed!
While Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man there was also a sudden break in His life, a radical change in His emotions and personal authority so that those who knew Him said "where did He get this wisdom from…." (Matthew 13:54-58 NKJV) And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? {55} "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? {56} "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" {57} So they were offended at Him.
The Holy Spirit!
Jesus had changed! While Luke shows us that Jesus was a child prodigy (Luke 2:42-50) few seem to have expected Him to turn into a miracle working prophet. The transition from promising youth to powerful prophet seems to have come at His baptism. There was a massive empowering work of the Holy Spirit that changed Jesus just as Pentecost changed the disciples. The highest level EQ skills such as boldness and courage and skill in healing and proclamation are Holy Spirit endowed.
Transformation Is Possible!
EQ change empowered by the Holy Spirit can be remarkable and sudden and leave others astonished. Simon changes to Peter the Rock at Pentecost. Saul becomes Paul on the Damascus Road. Wisdom is given to Solomon and strength to Samson. Stephen is given ‘words no man can contradict’ in court. The Holy Spirit is God, resident in human personality, with the power to change it.
While Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man there was also a sudden break in His life, a radical change in His emotions and personal authority so that those who knew Him said "where did He get this wisdom from…." (Matthew 13:54-58 NKJV) And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? {55} "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? {56} "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" {57} So they were offended at Him.
The Holy Spirit!
Jesus had changed! While Luke shows us that Jesus was a child prodigy (Luke 2:42-50) few seem to have expected Him to turn into a miracle working prophet. The transition from promising youth to powerful prophet seems to have come at His baptism. There was a massive empowering work of the Holy Spirit that changed Jesus just as Pentecost changed the disciples. The highest level EQ skills such as boldness and courage and skill in healing and proclamation are Holy Spirit endowed.
Transformation Is Possible!
EQ change empowered by the Holy Spirit can be remarkable and sudden and leave others astonished. Simon changes to Peter the Rock at Pentecost. Saul becomes Paul on the Damascus Road. Wisdom is given to Solomon and strength to Samson. Stephen is given ‘words no man can contradict’ in court. The Holy Spirit is God, resident in human personality, with the power to change it.
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