Emotions: Living Life in Colour

by Graham Beynon

We love them. We hate them. But we certainly cannot ignore them. Emotions can be wonderful things we love or horrible things we hate―depending on how we're feeling at the time. Sometimes we feel at their mercy and think that God would have been so much wiser to have made us without them. But we can't get away from God made us to feel. Emotions thinks through the place of emotions, how we view them, handle them, and glorify God with them. We see that the mature Christian life involves a fully-functioning emotional life and that emotions flow from the heart. We focus on how we can grow in good and godly emotions. We look at emotions and reading the Bible, emotions and singing praise to God, and the best way up when we are feeling down.

Genres: Christian

179 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Joel Heming · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear and easy to read book on the topic of emotions, often shied away from in Christian circles. I've found it to be very practical in thinking on these things, how we are to enjoy emotions, embrace them but at the same time to be wary of where they can take us if we do not subject them to Christ. I would thoroughly recommend this book struggling with the concept of emotions and how to take a biblical stance on them and even those that don't (if such a person exists), to understand people that do struggle with their emotions and to encourage them.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a culture that values feelings above anything else it’s easy to lurch to the other extreme and suppress emotions completely. This book is a very helpful redress of both sides and points the reader to the Lord Jesus.

[Andrée Cruto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fin 2024, je me suis retrouvée dans une quête : pourquoi suis-je une personne qui a tendance à ressentir trop intensément ?

Suite à plusieurs épreuves, j’en suis arrivée à un point où mes émotions ont pris le dessus ; ce sont elles qui ont fini par me contrôler. Je prenais mes décisions en fonction de ce que je ressentais. Au final, je n’étais plus guidée par le Saint-Esprit, mais par mes inquiétudes, mes angoisses, et tout ce qui m’accablait. Cela m’a épuisée au point où je n’avais plus la motivation de travailler ou de prendre soin de moi. J’étais complètement perdue.

Alors, j’ai prié Dieu : Aide-moi, s’il te plaît.
Et le Saint-Esprit a déposé dans mon cœur le désir de travailler sur moi et mes émotions. J’ai compris que je devais apprendre, m’informer, et lire un ouvrage développement perso centré sur les émotions. Mais je voulais absolument que ce livre soit fondé sur Jésus. Beaucoup de livres de développement personnel m’avaient déçue par le passé, car ils ne résonnaient pas avec ma foi chrétienne.

Je me suis donc rendue à la librairie chrétienne de Paris, et j’ai demandé à la vendeuse un livre qui traite des émotions. C’est ainsi que je suis tombée sur Les Émotions ou la Vie en couleurs. Pour être honnête, il m’a fallu 10 minutes de réflexion pour décider si je voulais le lire. La couverture, peu attrayante, m’a d’abord freinée. Mais après avoir feuilleté quelques pages, le Saint-Esprit m’a convaincue de l’acheter.

Je l’ai lu en quelques dizaines de jours, à raison d’un chapitre par jour avec des questions à chaque fin de chapitre. Ce livre est extrêmement enrichissant, et tout l’enseignement est fondé sur la Bible. J’ai beaucoup appris sur ma manière de gérer mes émotions et sur comment les appréhender de façon plus saine. On y découvre également beaucoup sur Jésus et ses propres émotions. Au final, c’est Lui notre modèle. Nous devrions apprendre à ressentir comme Lui, avec des émotions justes et saines.

Je recommande ce livre à tous ! Si vous souhaitez mieux gérer vos émotions ou apprendre à en ressentir davantage, je pense qu’il peut toucher n’importe qui.

[Alastair Gooderham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graham explored our emotions and the bibles teaching about them. The chapters that really stood out for me were those on depression but also the challenge in chapter 10 in normal life and feeding our love for God. The appendix addressed to those in Christian ministry was also a helpful corrective to preaching and pastoring that is missing emotions.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key takeaways for me (there’s a lot in this book):
When reading the Bible, ask: how should this make me think?; how should this make me feel?; how should I act?
Plenty to think through.
Useful appendix for ministers to consider.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good points, helpful but nothing groundbreaking.

[Helen Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings helpful insight to an area prone to misunderstanding and tackles the whole spectrum of emotions in a biblical way.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and authentically written. (The editing leaves intact some very UK-centric language choices, which I loved.) Practical, with helpful reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

[Meryl Crooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Helped me think through the role of our emotions in the Christian life.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful book on the importance of emotions as we live the Christian life. Clear and compassionate explanation and application of how we need to have not just our thinking and behaviour but also our emotions transformed so we think, act and feel rightly.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another helpful book by Graham who spoke at our church weekend away last year. It looks at what growing in godly emotions looks like. It's an honest book on a subject often neglected from a Christian understanding.

[Eilidh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book! I found it very helpful in looking at how God created us with emotions and the importance of connecting our emotions with the truth from God's word. The book also looks at how Jesus expressed emotions perfectly and how we can grow to develop our emotions to be more like His.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read