Isn’t the Joy-Centered Life Just an Emotional Roller Coaster? // Ask Pastor John

If our affections are the thermometer of our relationship with God, how can we remain stable through all our emotional ups and downs?
Building a ministry around joy in God leads to a lot of good and important questions we need to think through. For example, if our ministry centers on joy, then doesn’t this invite an emotional-rollercoaster rhythm to life? It is a really important question today from an anonymous listener who writes in to us.
“Pastor John, I struggle with thinking that feelings of peace, love, and joy are the validation and thermometer of my relationship with God. Thus, my relationship is like a rollercoaster. I often feel discouraged and anxious when my heart isn’t moved with emotion during my time with God. On the other hand, I am cautious to seek purely emotional highs because I know they can be misleading or even false. What would you say to me?”
Episode 1213:
Related Resources:
“Drug Users and Christian Hedonists — Aren’t Both Just Chasing the Next High?”
“Is My Joy Essential in Glorifying God?”
“How Much of My Happiness Is Settled By Factors Outside My Immediate Control?”
“What’s the Origin of Desiring God’s Slogan?”
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