As I was driving to work this morning, traffic was congested (per the usual) and you could almost feel the stress of people radiating from the way they were maneuvering their cars. Cars were going well over the speed limit and portrayed a desperation to get to where they were going, no matter what it took. I imagine many gripped their steering wheel tightly with furrowed brows, while muttering negative things about everyone’s inability to drive well.

On a two lane stretch, the truck in front of me aggressively switched to the other lane, exposing a line of traffic in my lane that was at a stand still. I had to slam on brakes to prevent my car from running into the back of the vehicle in front of me. That truck that swerved left me completely exposed. I had no way of knowing what was coming. The heightened emotions of the driver led to a self-preservation that could have resulted in someone else’s injury. The domino effect of emotional distraction benefits no one. 

There have been many times in my life where my emotions were in the driver’s seat. I let them steer me down dangerous directions or allowed them to prevent me from going anywhere at all. Emotions are not bad in themselves, but when we allow them to rule us- we’ve put a crown on an idol. If I allow sadness, anger, frustration, or hurt to dictate how I treat others, or even God himself, I have made the mistake of elevating a gauge that is meant to remind us of our humanity. Our emotional gauge can and should point us back to our source of perfect truth. Jesus was an emotional man, but constantly sought time with the Father where he turned those fleshly emotions over. He recognized and experienced all the things we do as humans, but did so without sinning (Philippians 2:5-7). 

Through prayer, emotions can act as a compass that guides us home. We can release the hold our humanity has on us when we bring things that like to stay in darkness to the light. We can set our minds on the things above because as believers, our lives are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:2). My home is with Christ, and He is the one who wears the crown- not my emotions. I can approach the throne and offer my emotions to Him, knowing He will take them and sanctify them in order that I may better resemble Him to a watching world.