J. Alasdair Groves - Untangling Emotions

Thank you for downloading this Crossway book.

Sign-up for the Crossway Newsletter for updates on special offers, new resources, and exciting global ministry initiatives:

Crossway Newsletter

Or, if you prefer, we would love to connect with you online:

You might not put a book on emotions at the top of your reading list, but given how everyday life is crammed with our emotions and those of our families, friends, and enemies, the topic is highly important. This book will lead you to engage with emotions in good and fruitful ways.

Ed Welch, Faculty and Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

Theologians and philosophers have often given highly oversimplified advice to people about emotions: Subordinate them to the intellect! Welcome good emotions (joy, peace) and suppress bad (fear, anger)! Such oversimplifications are not true to Scripture, and they hurt those who are struggling with difficult situations. Here Groves and Smith help us enormously as they untangle things, relieve confusion, and help us think through these issues in a serious way. Were enabled to see that in Scripture every emotion (whether we think of it as good or bad) has right uses and wrong ones. There is good anger and bad anger, good fear and bad fear. Were shown how to engage our emotions and how to act (or not act) on them. The authors have a deep understanding both of Scripture and of human experience, and they have put their insights into a strikingly well -w ritten book, dealing with difficult questions through vivid metaphors, illustrations, and stories. Most importantly, this book is God -c entered . It even contains an appendix showing us the senses in which God does and does not have feelings. I recommend this book to people who are struggling to understand their own feelings and to help others deal with theirs.

John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy Emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

God made us emotional beings. We love and we hate. We rejoice and we lament. We experience guilt and shame. Sometimes, maybe often, we struggle with unwanted emotions. Groves and Smith bring their considerable wisdom as counselors and students of the Bible to bear on the subject of our emotions, helping us to understand and engage our emotions and enabling us to move closer to God.

Tremper Longman III, Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus, Westmont College

When it comes to navigating personal emotions, Groves and Smith are like river guides on a rafting trip. They understand the currents and get you where you need to go. Particularly helpful is their recognition of the link between what we feel and what we value. In my experience, that link has often been the key to unlocking complex emotions for the people I care for.

Jeremy Pierre, Chair, Department of Biblical Counseling and Family Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life

Steering a wise middle course between exalting and ignoring our emotions, Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith develop a biblically rich understanding of emotions as a gift from God, an essential aspect of our image bearing. But they dont stop there. With practical insight and winsome examples, they demonstrate how to evaluate and direct your emotions in ways that deepen love for God and others. If you have questions about the role of emotions in the Christian life, or if you sometimes wonder why you feel too muchor too littleof a given emotion, you will profit immensely by reading this book.

Michael R. Emlet, Faculty Member, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; author, CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet and Descriptions and Prescriptions

Ive been a counselor for twenty years, and I still dont get emotions. I need help to figure them out, and Im sure you do, too. Untangling Emotions is now my go -t o guide on emotions. It packs a lot into one book, and page after page honors Christ.

Deepak Reju, Pastor of Biblical Counseling and Family Ministry, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC; author, The Pastor and Counseling and Preparing for Fatherhood

Grab this book. Dig deep. Let the Lord have your heart, for Groves and Smith are spot on: its time we engage our emotions. Isnt it obvious that times are changing? The danger we face Christians and pastors alikeis that we follow culture and let the love in our hearts grow cold (Matt. 24:12). But this book leads us to Jesus . Its life -g iving counselrooted in Scripture, reliant on the Lordhelps us deal with our most difficult emotions. Read this book. Embrace the process. Live it loud so we can help othersincluding those lost without Jesus do the same.

Thad Rockwell Barnum, Assisting Bishop, Diocese of the Carolinas

Untangling Emotions

Untangling Emotions

J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith

Untangling Emotions

Copyright 2019 by J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith

Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Micah Lanier

First printing 2019

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

Trade paperback ISBN: --4-5-8
ePub ISBN: --4-5-9
PDF ISBN: --4-5-5
Mobipocket ISBN: --4-5-2

Library of Congress Cataloging -i n -P ublication Data

Names: Groves, J. Alasdair, 1982 author.

Title: Untangling emotions / J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith.

Description: Wheaton: Crossway, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018037956 (print) | LCCN 2018053864 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433557835 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433557842 (mobi) | ISBN 9781433557859 (epub) | ISBN 9781433557828 (tp)

Subjects: LCSH: EmotionsReligious aspectsChristianity.

Classification: LCC BV4597.3 (ebook) | LCC BV4597.3 .G76 2019 (print) | DDC 233/.5dc23

LC record available at https:// lccn .loc .gov /2018037956

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2019-03-07 03:01:53 PM

To my mother,

who taught me to care what others felt

and to know that God cared about my heart:

You led us with faith, courage, and vulnerability

through our familys darkest hour.

J. Alasdair Groves

To Kim:

Your childlike delight in the most ordinary things,

your revelry in the good and your angry tears over the bad,

your humility and faithfulness

in these and a thousand other ways

you show me the love of Christ every day.

Winston T. Smith

Contents

When you write a book, you realize how much of even your most creative thinking has been formed and fertilized by other people, most of whom will never realize how great their impact on you has been. How do you thank all the people who have taught you everything you know? Nevertheless, wed like to take this opportunity to say thank you to a few who have especially helped us bring this project to fruition.