Feelings, emotions. do they have any purpose?

[NuclearReceptor]

Quite frankly, I have great difficulty trusting God. And I know it’s bad. Very often, there are feelings/thoughts of frustration, anger, bitterness, confusion, and disappointment towards God. What I had hoped in seems to always come crashing down, leaving me wondering, “What was the purpose of all that wasted effort and time? It is better to not have feelings and thoughts, instead of false hope and expectations. God must be punishing me. I shall not have feelings anymore, good or bad – then at least I won’t despair.”

Emotions seem so useless, petty, and burdensome. Do they have any good or useful function?

I suppose I could’ve been a mushroom growing in the forest floor…but God made me human.

Just detesting my fickle, wretched disposition that leads to sin and despair so, so, so frequently…

 

[pianistclare]

Emotions can be beautiful. Love should be at the core though. When you truly understand that God loves you and won you at great price, those emotions will overflow in goodness, peace, justice, goodwill, and forgiveness of self.
God loves.
God is.
God forgives.
We can do no less.

 

[goodcatholic]

Emotions seem so useless, petty, and burdensome. Do they have any good or useful function?

the useful positive ones can get you back on track and motivate you. Like Joy, excitement, peace, drive, feelings of acceptance and so on.
Emotions can be like fuel. Good fuel helps you motor on, bad ones sabotage your journey.
(sorry emotions like grief and sadness are necessary I admit and make us realise that life is not always a piece of cake.

 

[RKS89]

You may want to look into the 14 Rules of Discernment by St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Rules help us judge thoughts, feelings, perceptions etc, that we might know if they are good, sent from God to help move us forward in a life of holiness and virtue, or if they are from the Enemy and designed to stifle or frustrate our progress.

Emotions are a natural part of our existence as humans, so we can be sure God intended us to have them and, because of that, they do have a purpose. Sin can mislead us and twist our response to them, but they are not something to obsess over (obsessing over them might, in fact, be a trick of the Devil, playing against a weakness he knows you to have).

I let the Lord have all of my troubling emotions, especially those related to Him. Sometimes I write it out in a letter, sometimes it’s during some quiet time in Adoration or in my daily prayer. It’s important to give those emotions their due time, but in a healthy and constructive way, rather than brooding over them and guarding them from God’s understanding and healing.

 

[NuclearReceptor]

the useful positive ones can get you back on track and motivate you. Like Joy, excitement, peace, drive, feelings of acceptance and so on.

when that excitement, joy, and hope turn to mush…it’s just better not to have those emotions in the first place. it just causes more pain when it turns out to be false hope.

 

[Kei]

Yes, they are great if they flow from proper reason. If not they can be burdensome. Like a lot of things.

God bless. Know that Christ suffered and took all the pain we know. Try to make your sufferings one with His.

 

[NuclearReceptor]

I struggle with lust and pride as well, but they are easier than dealing with despondence and lack of trust.

Lust – It’s just bad, don’t give in, pray, resist.

Pride – I know I’m nothing, sure delusional ego pops up, but I can at least use reason to get back down to earth

Distrust of God — I have no way to overcome this.

 

[NuclearReceptor]

May I ask about your past experiences?

In general, I just feel useless and worthless. My life seems to have no purpose — just a string of failures and disappointments.

At least if I didn’t have emotions, I’d just accept it neutrally.

 

[goodcatholic]

In general, I just feel useless and worthless. My life seems to have no purpose — just a string of failures and disappointments.

That is coming across as incredibly negative. But I guess you know that. I can be quite negative myself and skeptical too. But in the end, it is faith, hope and love that will get me to a happier place. And I intend to embrace them more fully. I sometimes think it takes more courage to be optimistic. Pessimism can be the cowardly option.