Rating: 5/5
Groves, J. Alasdair and Winston T. Smith. Untangling Emotions. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2019.
Brief Description
Untangling Emotions dives into a subject that is not easily understood. Emotions are complicated, but many people try to see them through a black and white lens. The authors walk through what emotions are and how we should engage them. Groves and Smith explain: “The Bible’s model of engaging emotions means something very simple: when an emotion comes on your radar, you look at it, see what you find, and then (not before!) decide how to respond.” The authors expound on that by saying that when we engage our emotions with the Bible’s model, we don’t judge our emotions as good or bad. We need to study our emotions deeper before acting.
Who is This For
I recommend this to everyone, from middle school aged to adult. This is an awesome resource for men and women to understand their own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Yes, I do include men in this. I’m like most men and I often ignore or brush off my emotions, but this book definitely changed the way I look at emotions. So, I highly recommend this to both men and women.
My Thoughts
When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t expecting to gain much for my own life. I only wanted to learn more about emotions for a section in the book that I’m writing. But, after finishing Untangling Emotions, I would say it has been the most impactful book that I’ve read this year. Not only did I learn more about my own emotions and how to engage them, but I also gained a lot of good knowledge and wisdom on how to respond to my family’s and others’ emotions.
I especially appreciate the authors’ use of the Bible. As the authors state, “the Bible doesn’t offer a technical answer to the question What are emotions?” But their use of Scriptural references in context provide insight to how God views emotions and how we are to engage them. The authors then provide a very practical way to engage our emotions through a biblical model: Identify, Examine, Evaluate, and Act. This is helpful in my own life so that I do not act with my emotions before identifying, examining, and evaluating.
