Being properly emotional

How fruitful we are depends on whether we have an intimate concern

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In 2 Corinthians 7 Paul was very emotional. In verse 13 he says that he “rejoiced more abundantly over the joy of Titus.” …Paul was very human and emotional in his ministering of life. Paul was so emotional because his concern was so deep and intimate. Without this kind of concern, we could never be abundantly rejoicing in the way Paul was. Instead, we may be as cold as a freezer, altogether lacking in concern for the saints. Instead of warming up others, we make them even colder. Nothing can grow when it is in such a frozen condition. We need the weather of spring to come to thaw us out and warm up our life. Once again there is a need for a ministering life. Do you know what a ministering life is? It is a life that warms up others. Learn to warm others. This is to have an intimate concern for them.

Many have read 2 Corinthians 7 without touching the matter of Paul’s intimate concern. If we do not have this kind of concern for others, we will not be fruitful. If I would minister life to the saints, I must have a genuine concern for them, a concern that is emotional, deep, and intimate. I must be so concerned that, at times, I may appear to others to be foolish or beside myself.

(Life-study of 2 Corinthians, message 44)

We all must be properly emotional and full of expression

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“In [Romans 12:15] Paul says, ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.’ We must be transformed before we can rejoice and weep with others. Some people were born in such a way that they are unable to weep or to rejoice. Regardless of how happy or joyful you are, they remain expressionless, resembling the statue of Mary at the entrance of a Catholic church, which never changes its expression. Some brothers and sisters are like this. They do not know how to rejoice or to weep with others; they seem to be stones without human affection. However, the church life needs emotional people. We all must be properly emotional and full of expression. I would like to have a face that can express all my emotions properly and adequately. We cannot put together people with stone faces and call it the church life; we must be living stones, stones full of affection. We must learn to rejoice and to weep with others.”

(Life-Study of Romans, pp. 315-316)

All spiritual people are emotional

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“Let us be clear about the matter of our emotions. We need to be emotional. Some say that we are too emotional. But no one can be like the apostle Paul if he is not emotional. Paul was very emotional: many times he spoke and wrote to the saints with tears. Once he said, “What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod or in love and a spirit of meekness?” (1 Cor. 4:21). Paul could be very emotional. At another time he said, “What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Are not even you?” (1 Thes. 2:19). It is good to be emotional. If you can never be emotional, you can never be spiritual. But listen, not naturally emotional but emotional in the spirit; not emotional with strange fire but with heavenly fire. Our natural emotion must be consumed on the burnt offering altar. All the natural things must be consumed there. We need to offer praises, we need to be released, yet we still need to be dealt with; we need many dealings through the cross.

Do not think that to be noisy is emotional. If we can never weep publicly while preaching the gospel, I do not think we can bring many people to the Lord. I have read the biography of a brother who had no eloquence whatever. He was able to speak very little, but whenever he stood to speak for the Lord Jesus, his tears flowed down. Just by that kind of weeping, many persons were converted to Christ. All spiritual people are emotional. Learn to be emotional; then you will know how to be spiritual. Learn to laugh; learn to weep. Do not learn so much teaching, but learn the things that will help you turn to the spirit. If you exercise yourself overmuch in your mentality, you will lose the laughing spirit. Do not think you are so smart. Turn from your mentality to the spirit and praise the Lord. Learn to exercise your spirit and be happy and joyful. Rejoice in the presence of the Lord, and you will be much in the spirit.”

(How to Meet, pp.206-207)