Moved to Tears
John 11: 1 - 44
If you had known me in my younger days (early 20’s), you would have thought I was a very unemotional person, especially with the softer emotions. There wasn’t much that made me particularly sad or distraught back then. Tears were nonexistent, even in times of challenge or frustration.
Now that I’m older, it seems as though I am more connected to my emotions than ever before. In fact, they sometimes sneak up on me. Perhaps my experiences of life have softened me and have made me less hard about situations and relationships.
For example, I get quite emotional when watching some of those talent shows on TV. I know they intentionally edit and produce the stories on these programs to be dramatic and draw out our emotions, but some of them really get to me; especially the ones about kids. It’s not uncommon for me to begin to get emotional when I see somebody who has overcome adversity, has excelled in a particular talent, and is now sharing it with the world. Their stories literally move me to tears.
Q: When is the last time you were moved to tears? What was happening?
Emotions are natural. They are a large part of who we are. We love them and sometimes even hate them. They show up expectedly and sometimes surprise us unexpectedly. We work to manage and control them and sometimes they manage us.
We have labeled some emotions as being positive and have even characterized others as being negative.
Despite all of this, one fact remains…
God created us to have emotions and to be emotional.
And if we take the words of Solomon to heart, we know there is “a time” for each of our emotions. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
So what is the purpose of our emotions? I think these are a few…
They cause us to experience life in the moment.
They remind us of our humanness.
They move (motivate) us to take action.
Considering today’s passage (John 11:1-44), we read about a time when Jesus showed emotions. Take a few moments to read the account of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus.
In this story, Lazarus had died and people were grieving. The first emotion or noted by Jesus in the story is not grief or sorrow, but rather anger and frustration. The people had seen him do many miracles already, but were not paying attention to his words of what he was willing to do in this situation.
Then, perhaps, his frustration moved him to tears. In fact, the shortest verse in the Bible says, “Jesus wept”.
Were these emotions out of place? Or inappropriate?
It’s clear that Jesus was in the moment. He saw the people and felt their pain.
His expression of emotion showed an even deeper human connection with those around him.
His emotions moved him to take action. In this case, his glory was again revealed.
It didn’t seem as though he was trying to contain his emotions as much as he was willing to let them be an integral part of the situation as it unfolded.
I wonder how many times we have tried to refrain from a display of emotion and, in the course of doing, so, have altered the outcome or importance of a situation.
For me, I sometimes feel as displaying emotion is a sense of vulnerability. However, that might be just want some situations need. Honesty. Transparency. Authenticity. I believe God can do amazing things with our display of emotions when they are appropriate.
When we observe emotions in others, there can be no more truer sense of real identity in that moment. For our Corpath brothers and sisters, our awareness of their emotions is what builds deep connection. Don’t be afraid to express and explore the emotions around you. Have faith that God is at work.
My prayer:
Heavenly father, I praise you and thank you for creating me and giving me the emotions that help me experience the fulness of life. I especially thank you for the example of Christ and his use of emotions as he connected with those closest to him. Please open my eyes to the world around me and let me see the emotions and others as you would see them, Amen.
Blessings as Always!
Steve Shrout
President, Corpath Forums
Email: president@corpath.ca
"Pursuing Excellence in Business, Life and Spirit"
Special Note:
If you enjoyed today’s message, then share it with someone. Also, use this content and questions as a discussion guide in your next Forum Group meeting.
Attached to this is a printable PDF you can use to help with your meditation and reflection. I encourage you to print it, answer the questions and then keep it in a Corpath binder or folder for future reference and thought. You will receive a new PDF each week with each new Monday Meditation, and, over time, your binder will become a book representing your Corpath journey of BUSINESS thoughts, personal LIFE development, and SPIRITUAL growth.
