Emotions are an important part of ministry. God created you with emotions. You can’t just leave them at the door when God leads you into ministry. 

But learning to manage your emotions is a key part of ministry.

God’s Word has a lot to say about how to deal with what we feel. 

Here are four reasons the Bible says we need to learn to manage our emotions:

1. You need to learn to manage your emotions because they are often unreliable.

Too many leadership gurus say you should trust your gut, but your gut is often wrong. 

Your intuition is often flawed. Your emotions often lead you down a blind alley. You can’t depend on everything you feel!

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV). You don’t have to accept everything you feel, because not everything you feel is right or authentic or will lead you in the right direction.

If you don’t control your emotions, they will control you, and you will be manipulated by your moods. 

You can’t lead others if you’re constantly being led by your feelings. Plus, other people will take advantage of you. 

Worst of all, negative emotions are Satan’s favorite tool. He will use fear, resentment, and worry to wreak havoc in your life.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (NIV).

God cannot rule your life if emotions rule your life. If you make your decisions based on how you feel, then you’ve made your feelings your god.

Romans 8:6, 8 says, “To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace . . . Those who obey their human nature cannot please God” (GNT).

Study after study has shown that your emotional quotient is far more important than your IQ when it comes to success. 

How many people do you know who ruined their reputation because of something said in anger? Or missed a ministry opportunity because of their lack of self-control?

The Bible says in Proverbs 5:23, “[People] get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control” (CEV).

When you choose to follow Jesus, that decision includes your emotions. So when you say, “I gave my heart to Jesus,” you gave your emotions to him so he could manage them. 

Jesus wants to be Lord of how you feel, not just what you think and do. He wants to be Lord of your emotions.

“From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires” (1 Peter 4:2 GNT).