My statement stands firm. There are NO thoughts in emotions. Only "feelings". And feelings cannot be trusted. Only objective reality can.
Hi Free,
The way you are talking about feelings or emotions, is like they are some random events which have no relation to anything. And you oppose the world of the heart against facts or you call objective reality.
I will show you how feelings and thoughts and events are interlinked.
Often when we have a good experience or a person we like spending time with, when we see them again the emotions linked to that event and person come back. They are the summary of how we relate and experience them. A piece of music or a particular set of words can also trigger the emotion and the situation from the past. It is emotional memory. Scientists have discovered people who have lost the ability to remember ideas or thoughts can see someone and then a load of feelings appear, but they do not know why.
It is possible for a person to become disconnected with their emotions, where the triggers and responses are not understood and the feelings appear apparently randomly. This is a kind of split between the heart of a person and what they appear to be to the outside world. People in this state define themselves by how they want to appear, not who or what they are. In this model the language is "feelings cannot be trusted" and whatever else in the environment, often the group opinion is taken as what defines life and interaction. This can also be faith, or a rules set.
This creates legalism, or conformity through repression and ignoring the internal realities to create an impression on the surface. To a degree this is also how we do work, and remain consistent, but knowing why and how our internal reality is working is the difference between reality and just pretending.
Now I know how debilitating this ignoring the internal reality can be, living with someone who lives like this alone. They live with a brave face, while there is no true meaning or conclusions, because to them it feels like hurt and chaos within. This is not Jesus's way, or the power of the cross, love and the resurrection.
Now I am saying this not because I am being judgemental, rather I am shinning a light with real hope and healing, opening the heart to bring love, truth and reality to bare. But it takes real faith to lay down ones defences and to let oneself feel the emotions, and then let them go. This is essential to finding eternal life, else one is just a husk on top of chaos.
Do you see Paul saying we should not be driven by our passions, saying you just ignore them and repress them, though they rage and enslave ones behaviour out of control of the will or desire?
No, he rather takes every thought captive, because Christ through the Spirit has brought love and resolution to his heart.
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance
1 Timothy 4:7-8
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6
Emotions are feelings with defined triggers.
