Tools for Good

Our emotions are meant to be tools to aid us in our Christian lives. God has given us his word in scripture to help us evaluate how well those tools are working. And he has provided other helps for us as well. The wonderful gift of repentance and forgiveness, the strength that comes from inner healing and deliverance from evil spirits, the power of the Holy Spirit, the freedom of self-discipline, and the love of our Christians are just some of the tools that God has put at our disposal to help us live that whole and holy life to which he calls us.
How are these tools to operate in our lives as women? It is essential to consider how we experience our emotions as women. After all, women are different from men, aren’t they? I’ve been frustrated more than once by advice given by well meaning Christian authors or teachers. Certainly they have much to offer us, but their advice often lacks an essential feminine perspective, one that draws from the experience of women themselves.
What does scripture say about our emotions? What part does tradition, handed down by Christian churches, play in our lives today? More specifically, hoe does Christian women experience and handle her emotions? After teaching and counseling women for the past twelve years, I’m convinced that the feminine difference can be verbalized. Let’s leave the carnival, and all the voices clamoring for our attention, to spend some time understanding ourselves as Christian women.