During the FOLLOW sermon series, The Daily Fill devotional will consist of four days of the regular devotionals, and the 5th day (Fridays) will include a “practice” section to help you go a little deeper with the subject studied this past week.
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God feels emotions.
• Jesus experienced grief: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
• God loves: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
• God feels jealousy: “For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14)
• The Lord experiences joy!: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
We are created in God’s image, and we, too, feel emotions. God would not have given us emotions if he didn’t intend for us to feel them. Yet sometimes it is hard to define or understand what is going on inside of us. Here are some steps to understanding your emotions, which will lead to greater wholeness, and your Creator designed for you to experience.
1. Be Curious
Take a look at the emotions wheel (click here to view). Most of us can identify one of the center emotions. Where are you at today?
Happy — Sad — Disgusted — Angry — Fearful — Bad — Surprised
Now this is where it gets challenging. Based on the center emotion that you chose, take a step out to the next circle. Which of the following in the same basic category are you feeling right now? You’ll notice the next ring gets a bit more descriptive!
Finally, move out to the last ring. Which of the two final words in the darker ring reflects where you are at today? There is no right or wrong — you are just naming your current emotions.
2. Show yourself Compassion
What emotions did you land on? Do you need to focus on some calming techniques now? What would it look like to approach these emotions with creativity? Does knowing that you are feeling this emotion bring about any clarity?
Step out in Courage. You did it! You named your emotions! You may not feel like it, but just naming your emotion can give you the confidence to take the next step, to seek connection with a safe person.
(Emotions wheel PDF: https://www.efcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/emotions-wheel.pdf)