Counsels on Self-Identity

Counsel #14 — Emotional

Picture: Counsel #14 — Emotional CI 114.1

In a world that often labels women as “too emotional” or “overly sensitive,” it’s easy to question whether your emotional depth is something to tone down or hide. You might hear things like, “She’s just hormonal,” or “She’s overreacting,” messages that can make you feel like your feelings are something to fix rather than something to understand or work through. CI 114.2

God didn’t create emotions to be buried or dismissed. He designed them to help you notice what’s going on inside of you spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The Bible shows us women like Hannah, who poured out her sorrow before God, or Mary, who reflected quietly on things she didn’t yet understand. Their emotional insight led them closer to God, not further away. Spiritually, femininity is about learning how to respond to emotion with grace, clarity, and principle. God invites you to bring your feelings to Him honestly, and to make decisions based not just on what you feel, but in what’s true and lasting. You don’t have to apologize for feeling deeply about things. You just need to know where to take those feelings — to God.^[115] CI 114.3

“The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” Proverbs 14:15 NIV CI 114.4

“We are not to make our feelings a test by which to discern whether we are in or out of favor with God…” Ellen White in From the Heart, p. 79 CI 114.5

Reflect: How can you let God shape your emotional responses? CI 114.6