Right Emotions and Habits of the Heart

Last spring I wrote about how, in addition to orthodoxy ("right belief") and orthopraxy ("right practice"), the Christian life demands orthopathy--"right passions," "right emotions," and "right affections." 

The emotional, passionate, and affectional life of the Christian has a particular shape, character, and orientation. So many of the imperatives of the Christian life address our emotions. The arena of spiritual formation is internal and affectional. The ask is for orthopathy. 

For example:

Fear / Anxiety
Do not be anxious about your life (Matt 6:25)
Do not be anxious about anything (Phil 4:6)
Cast all your anxieties on him (1 Pet 5:7)
Do not fear those who kill the body (Matt 10:28)

Joy / Rejoicing
Rejoice and be glad (Matt 5:12)
Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4)
Rejoice always (1 Thess 5:16)

Love / Compassion
Love your enemies (Matt 5:44)
Love one another (John 13:34)
Put on compassionate hearts, kindness... (Col 3:12)

Gratitude
Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18)
Be thankful (Col 3:15)

Peace / Contentment
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Col 3:15)
Be content with what you have (Heb 13:5)

Hope / Courage
Do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13)
Be strong in the Lord (Eph 6:10)

Anger / Wrath
Be angry and do not sin (Eph 4:26)
Put away anger, wrath, malice… (Col 3:8)

Envy / Covetousness 
Put away envy (1 Pet 2:1)
Keep your life free from love of money (Heb 13:5)

Forgiveness / Mercy
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36)
Forgive one another (Eph 4:32)

Zeal / Desire
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit (Rom 12:11)
Earnestly desire the higher gifts (1 Cor 12:31)

As should be clear from this list, spiritual formation has to address our inner emotional life. Many of our virtues are affective in nature, virtuous emotional responses toward life circumstance. And yet, orthopathy is a daunting challenge. By and large, our emotions are triggered by events. We react to life. Consequently, emotions don't seem to be very much in our control. 

However, as I describe in The Shape of Joy, can we gain control of our emotional lives through meaning-making, a top-down rather than bottom-up process. As I've shared here before, through this top-down process of meaning-making we acquire emotional dispositions, habits of the heart, that predispose us toward virtuous emotional responses. Forming our hearts doesn’t happen in a moment, it requires prior acts of preparation that reshape our deepest values. This prior work creates a capacity for emotional autonomy and control amid the vicissitudes of life. Simply stated, the story you're telling about your life determines your emotional reactions to the events of the day. And there is a story you can tell that traces the shape of joy, a story that can make you less anxious, more joyful, more loving, more grateful, more peaceful, more hopeful, more brave, less angry, less envious, more forgiving, and more passionate for the things of God.