Untangling Emotions by J. Alasdair Groves, Winston T. Smith

Untangling Emotions by J. Alasdair Groves, Winston T. Smith ISBN-13: 9781433557828 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Crossway Books Released: March 31, 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Christians often view their emotions in one of two ways: either they don't matter at all or they are the most important thing that defines a person. However, neither extreme is true to God's good purpose for emotions. Written by two experienced counselors, this book sets forth a holistic view of emotions rooted in the Bible, offering a practical approach to engaging with both positive and negative emotions in a God-honoring way. Readers will be encouraged to see their emotions as an opportunity to explore themselves, their values, and their affections, and to move toward deeper worship of God.


My Review:
Untangling Emotions examines why God gave us emotions, what emotions tell us about what we love and value, and how to develop healthy, God-honoring emotions. The authors started by looking at what emotions are, what they tell us, and how even "negative" emotions can be good. It is through sharing emotions that we connect with others. Emotions like anger (in cases like injustice against the helpless) are designed to motivate us to do something and grief helps us see the brokenness of this world and long for God to make things right.

They talked about how the culture tells us to view our emotions versus how the Bible talks about emotions. They provided a list of things you can do to encourage healthy emotions. They talked in detail about how to process your emotions to see what they're telling you about what you value and if your response to your emotions is God-honoring. They devoted time to specifically look at fear, anger, grief, and guilt and shame. The tone was encouraging, and it's easy to understand (not highly technical or scholarly sounding). Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to any Christian.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.