You Felt It Before You Knew It
The first in a three-part series on how God made you — body, soul, and spirit.
We start with the body.
It is often said that as a driver, you never really forget the accidents you have been involved in. I can't fully explain why, but I think there is some truth to it.
There was a day when I was driving and got into an accident. It wasn't my first, but it is the most recent one I remember clearly.
There was a tractor in front of me, heavily loaded with sugarcane. We had stopped, and normally I would leave a good amount of space between us. But this was not a normal situation.
We were in town, traffic was building up, and the space was getting tight.
Then the tractor started moving.
Actually, it was moving backwards.
I reacted immediately. I engaged reverse because I did not want to get involved in an accident. I was reacting before I had properly considered everything around me.
And in trying to avoid the accident, I caused the very thing I was trying to avoid.
I don't need to give you every detail of what happened. The lesson is enough
Sometimes the first thing we do is not the thing we would have chosen if we had time to think.
Imagine a car suddenly swerving toward you. Before you can think, That was close, your heart may already be pounding, your hands may feel cold, and your body may already be preparing to respond.
You did not consciously choose that first reaction. It happened quickly.
That is where emotions come in.
In this series, I am using emotion to describe that fast, automatic response, while feeling refers more to our conscious awareness and interpretation of what is happening. Different fields use these words differently, so I am using them simply as a framework for this series.
The important part is this:
You can feel something before you fully understand what is happening.
And that matters because God did not make a mistake when He made us this way.
We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). Jesus wept at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:33–35), showed compassion toward people (Matthew 9:36), and experienced deep distress before the cross (Mark 14:33–34). Our emotions are not proof that something is wrong with us. They are part of being human.
The goal, then, is not to silence every emotion.
It is to learn to notice it, understand what it may be telling us, and decide what we do next.
The first responders
Six basic emotions work like your body's first responders. They show up fast, and each one carries a message.
I had to learn, observe and understand each for an effective me and decided to write it so as to share and also refer back if need be. I hope this series will be a better understanding of you and God – We are His image.
Fear says there's danger. It sharpens you and prepares you to run, freeze, or fight. It's trying to protect you. The question is whether the danger is real. "Do not be afraid" appears all through Scripture, not because fear is a sin, but because fear isn't meant to be in charge. This is often as I have observed a need to take care of something within you or externally.
Anger says something is wrong, unfair, or crossed. It often signals that something you value is under threat – This often gives clarity of what you really value. Ephesians 4:26 doesn't say "never be angry." It says be angry and do not sin. The emotion is allowed. What you do with it is the test.
Sadness says something mattered and it's gone – closing a door. It slows you down so you can grieve. "Blessed are those who mourn" tells us God meets people in sadness instead of hurrying them out of it. You should honor your heart and grieve.
Joy says this is good, and you're safe or connected. It makes you want to share the moment with someone. Scripture treats joy as something worth guarding and celebrating. It’s often said that it is all the feelings combined but I’d say it feeling safe in every feeling.
Disgust says this is harmful, stay away – simply what you don’t want. It may be as protection from rotten food and poison or even a violation of what we believe is right. Romans 12:9 puts it plainly: hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. It protects you by allowing you remove something or change your environment.
Surprise says something unexpected, pay attention. It lasts only a second or two before turning into something else, like fear or joy, or it might simply leave you curious.
It simply tells you Pay attention. Something changed.
None of the emotions Is Automatically Good or Bad
None of these is labeled "good" or "bad."
Emotions are information, but information is not the same thing as instruction.
Think of emotions like sensors in a robot.
A sensor gives information.
It does not make the final decision.
When emotions get complicated
Not every reaction fits those six. Some are built from the basics plus thought, memory, and the people around us. They sit between emotion and feeling, and they often weigh on us most.
Anxiety is fear stretched into the future. Nothing has gone wrong yet, but your body reacts as if it has. It is often something you need to do and are maybe not doing – say a decision to let go. Philippians 4:6-7 invites us to bring it to God in prayer instead of carrying it alone.
Jealousy is usually fear of losing something, mixed with anger at whatever seems to threaten it. Someone else has what you want, and suddenly it feels like there isn't enough left for you. This makes you push the person or thing away. It shows you what you want if you pay close attention.
Guilt says I did something wrong. It points at an action, and it can be healthy because it moves you toward repair. You might have stopped listening to your deepest needs thus need to listen and take action. 2 Corinthians 7:10 calls this godly sorrow, the kind that leads to change instead of despair.
Shame says I am something wrong. It points at your identity, not your actions. Guilt says "I made a mistake." Shame says "I am a mistake." . Shame brings disconnection in relations – people, places, and even God. Guilt leads you back to God, and shame makes you hide from Him Romans 8:1 answer shame directly: there is no condemnation for those in Christ.
Contempt is looking down on someone, a mix of anger and disgust aimed at a person. You think that you are better than someone and you aren’t. It shows you a blind spot. It's easy to miss it in ourselves. The Pharisee in Luke 18 prayed, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men," and walked away unjustified. Contempt feels like confidence but moves us away from grace.
What to do with this
This is basically what I have been doing ever since I learnt this.
We are all custom by design – God did that.
But you can try do this as I have been doing in my journal and daily life practice.
Next time something hits you fast, try three small steps
- Name it. "That's fear." "That's anger." Naming it slows it down.
- Ask what it's telling you. Is there real danger, real wrongdoing, a real loss?
- Bring it to God before you act on it. You don't have to clean it up first. Just bring it.
You may not always control what you feel first.
But you can learn to notice it, understand it, bring it to God, and decide what happens next.
And There Is More
That brings us to a bigger question
Why can two people experience the same moment and feel completely different things?
If the body can respond so quickly, why do our experiences, memories, thoughts, and relationships shape what those responses mean to us?
That leads us to the soul.
And that is where we go next.
Next Wednesday.
Image of God, lived out loud.