This is an odd question, but when has a burger ever snapped you out of your funk? When has a large order of fries ever brought you more than a temporary bit of happiness? Burger King (BK) believes they have a solution to your anxiety issues with a line of products they’re calling “Real Meals.” It’s a targeted marketing campaign highlighting Mental Health Awareness Month for this past May. It also gives a slight dig to McDonald’s Happy Meals. It comes complete with a hashtag: #FeelYourWay.
The problem inherent in this ad, from a biblical worldview, is that it seems to be saying people are better off if they let their emotions take control. One young woman curses about her boss and gives “the finger” as she storms out of her office, either after being fired or quitting. One of the lyrics from the song, “All I ask is that you let me feel my way,” could be the mantra for the secular, post-modern age.
I thought this might make a good blog post because the video and campaign are quite fascinating, along with what they seem to imply or what they’re telling people. It’s also good to look at what helps contribute to the emotionalism of our modern age. Additionally, we can look at what the Bible says about emotions and how Christians can avoid the trap of emotionalism. At this point, you may be saying, “John, it’s an ad for burgers.” Sure, on the face of it, but it seems to imply much more.
As an aside, it’s important to note that the campaign seems to have failed by social media standards. The response on YouTube is quite the opposite of what BK thought the response would be. The comments section doesn’t seem to fair much better with many people seeing it only as a ploy to sell burgers. The responses to BK’s tweet weren’t exactly kind either.
Emotions: Have It Your Way
It’s safe to say in our current culture people seem to be more emotional than in generations past. Or at least it’s more overt than in years past due to new media and technological advances. Outrage culture is the latest trend, especially on social media sites. Twitter seems to be a breeding ground for tearing apart not only your opponent’s argument, but your opponent as well. We’ve seemed to have lost the art of logical reasoning and listening to the others. Instead, we make sure only our side’s voice dominates the conversation. The goal is to shout down the other side and shut down the discussion. This is obviously not ideal for civil discourse.
And how many times have you heard in your life that you need to “feel your way” through something? Then there’s that age-old question, “What does your heart tell you?” Who hasn’t been told, “Follow your heart”? An entire genre of books and movies were created around doing what your heart tells you. The Hallmark channel exists for nothing else than to show you fake situations of what happens when characters follow their heart. And of course, those decisions always end up with the best possible outcomes because, well, it’s not real life. To the complete opposite of that, the Bible says the heart is deceitful and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9).
Social Media
As I stated above, social media seems to be one large contributing factor. According to a study published in the journal, Computers in Human Behavior, researches in 2014 surveyed 1,787 U.S young adults ages 19-32. They found that participants who used 7-11 social media platforms were at higher risk (three times greater) of increased anxiety and depression as opposed to those who used 0-2 platforms. Of course, other factors may have contributed as well. Researchers discovered the associations to be strong enough that they recommended clinicians ask their patients if they were using several social media platforms when diagnosing for depression and anxiety.
In the 2018 Global Mobile Consumer Survey from Deloitte, Americans pick up their phones about 52 times a day. That’s up from 47 times according to the 2017 findings by Deloitte. In that 2017 study, it also notes that Americans between ages 18 and 34 checked their phones 86 times a day. Smartphone adoption in older generations 45 and up outpaced millennials with a 7% increase. With no end in sight to the technological shift we’re witnessing in the world today, it’s hard to see how these numbers will go down year over year.
With our heads buried in our screens, we get sucked into the lives of other people. We become envious of the glamorous pictures showing celebrities at the latest club. It can even happen with friends and family. We can covet someone else’s marriage or family life that seems to be perfect on Facebook. A friend may have a job that allows for travel to foreign countries while you sit in your cube and scroll through his or her Instagram. Feelings of anger and resentment can begin to supplant Jesus on the throne of our heart. We can let our emotions take our hearts to sinful places, and in doing so, it can affect our mood and eventually our worldview.
Additionally, people can begin to mimic what they see on their phones. If the heart’s orientation isn’t in the right place, then, of course, a person can be influenced by a favorite reality TV star, celebrity or political hero. The younger generation, especially, may take cues from how social media stars behave. If a person grows up on a steady diet of seeing people shout, scream, demand things and mistreat others, then there shouldn’t be a surprise when that person begins to do the same if social media consumption goes unchecked for a long time.
Less human contact
In the 2014 study, The iPhone Effect: The Quality of In-Person Social Interactions in the Presence of Mobile Devices, researchers studied 100 couples who were assigned a casual or meaningful topic to discuss for 10 minutes. From the abstract of the study:
Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling, it was found that conversations in the absence of mobile communication technologies were rated as significantly superior compared with those in the presence of a mobile device … Participants conversing in the presence of a mobile device who also had a close relationship with each other reported lower levels of empathy compared with dyads1 who were less friendly with each other. (emphasis mine)
Of course, anecdotally, if you people-watch for a half-hour in a restaurant or at your nearest coffee shop, you’ll notice how we don’t interact with each other anymore. And it’s not only a problem out of the home, but in the home as well. I know I’m guilty of it at times. It’s no wonder people feel isolated from others and retreat into their emotions. It’s no wonder when confronted with certain situations that people don’t know how to react and can overreact to specific trials (or what seem like a trial).
Technology is distracting and takes away from the realness of life. The constant notifications and FOMO (fear of missing out) vie for our attention, and they seem to be winning. It’s hard to engage with someone when his or her face is buried in the soft glow of a screen, like a mosquito drawn to the warm blue light of an electric insect killer.
Responding Biblically to Emotions
As Christians growing in our sanctification, we know that we will never be perfect this side of glory. We can, and will, continue to sin until the day of the Lord’s return, or we’re called home. Like any area of our lives, we need to be submissive to God and what His Word says in any given situation. We need to view emotions through a biblical lens.
First, let me state that what I’m not saying is that all emotions are wrong or sinful. God the Father, our creator in whose image we are made, has emotions. He is love (1 John 4:8), He is compassionate (2 Kings 13:23) and He is wrathful (Romans 9:22). We also have many instances in Scripture where Jesus showed emotion such as being grieved in His spirit (John 11:33), weeping (Luke 19:41, being compassionate (Matthew 4:23-24) and loving people (John 13:1). Read over the list Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 lays out. There will be points in our lives where it’s appropriate to weep, laugh, mourn and dance.
What I am saying is that we should not give in to our emotions so much as to have us act in a way that we sin or dishonor God. We need to understand that we are not like the members of the Trinity in that their emotions aren’t tainted by sin. We must be vigilant and guard our hearts in how we react to life, even in the times when righteous indignation may be appropriate.
Study Scripture
How will you know if your emotions are God-honoring if you don’t know what God says about them? How can Christians battle sinful emotions effectively? We must rely on the Bible to give us the direction of true north because God’s Word is the truth. Jesus says so in John 17:17. Since His Word is the truth we should have no reservations about going to it daily, not only in our devotion or daily Bible reading time, but when we are struggling. In those times when you are reeling against the blows of life, what better time is there than to seek out counsel from the One who knows all, including our hearts and minds. He knows what’s best.
God’s Word also instructs us regarding the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. The Bible that tells us that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23). As Christians, we know it can be difficult to rein in our feelings during times of anxiety, sadness or heated anger, but we need to understand that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to not succumb to sinful desires of the heart. If dealing with emotions in an unhealthy way is your sin, then you must understand that if you’re in Christ, this is something you can overcome. It is a sin that Jesus paid for on the cross and is not out of the realm of the power of the Holy Trinity.
Prayer
For me, when the trials of the world press down on my shoulders and I feel the weight of my anxieties, one of the things I’m not good about is turning to God in prayer. It’s a habit I’m slowly but surely trying to break. And why is it that this seems like a prevalent issue among us Christians? In small groups and men’s bible studies, it’s a theme I hear consistently. If you ask the average Bible-believing Christian, he or she would say that they do pray and that prayer is important and needed in the Christian life. They believe what the Bible says about prayer. Most likely, we don’t do it enough, especially in times of trouble because we believe we can handle it on our own.
When our emotions run high, we may turn to other forms of stress relievers like food, exercise or media consumption. Or we may psych ourselves through it using self-confidence and faith in our abilities as the fuel to get through the bad times. Scripture, though, tells us something different about how we should approach our emotions when they get out of control. Here are a few things I pulled from the Bible to help us see the importance of prayer in the Christian life.
- We’re commanded to pray (Philippians 4:6).
- We’re to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
- We’re to pour out our heart and soul in prayer to God (Psalm 62:8).
- We’re to rest in the comfort that God hears and answers our prayer (Psalm 10:17, Psalm 65:2).
- We’re to approach with confidence in God in our prayers (Psalm 86:7, 1 John 5:14).
Be Accountable
Having someone you can call on in times of emotional distress can be a great ally in your battle against your emotions taking over. Sinful emotions, much like other sins that we may have a hard time controlling, may need a dose of some accountability measures. This is why the body exists as a means of grace. Much of church takes place outside of the four walls on a Sunday morning after the sermon is over. It’s the small groups. It’s the conversations on the phone. It’s lunch check-ins. It’s the encouraging texts, emails and social media posts. One of the reasons the body exists is to “bear one another’s burdens” as Galatians 6:2 states. Having someone to talk through what you’re feeling can be beneficial when trying to get a grip on anger or sadness.
Additionally, a friend in the body of Christ can be real with you and give honest feedback about how your reacting to something. That doesn’t sound appealing, right? Why would I seek out someone who is going to tell me I’m reacting sinfully to a situation? Because, as we all know (or don’t know), we have blindspots. We’re not always great at critiquing ourselves and employing self-awareness. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Many times we need a loving rebuke to show us how we’re acting out. The intent of the rebuke is that this “wound” from someone who knows us well would be with the best intention to get us to focus back on Christ and what God’s Word says about a particular situation rather than give our emotions free rein.
The Takeaway
Dealing biblically with our emotions comes from having a God-centered view of them. To deal with emotions in an effective manner, we need to study what His Word says about them, pray and seek counsel. We don’t have to be slaves to our emotions and how the world says we should deal with them. We are slaves to Christ and His Word first.
1. A “dyad” is something that consists of two elements or parts.↩
