Awe

This is a tough question for me, because I wouldn’t always be aware of what emotions I feel. For example, if I had absolutely no joy in my life and joy came in, I would notice it, but if I always have a sense of joy in there somewhere, I might not notice it. I asked Microsoft Copilot for a list of positive emotions. Here’s what it told me.

• Joy – A feeling of great happiness and delight, often spontaneous and contagious.
• Gratitude – A warm appreciation for what one has or receives; deeply linked to well-being.
• Love – A profound sense of affection, connection, and care for others.
• Hope – An optimistic state of mind that inspires belief in a better future.
• Serenity – A calm, peaceful feeling, often associated with contentment and inner balance.
• Interest – A sense of curiosity and engagement with something new or meaningful.
• Pride – A feeling of satisfaction from achievements or qualities, either personal or shared.
• Amusement – Light-hearted enjoyment, often sparked by humor or playfulness.
• Inspiration – A motivating emotion that drives creativity, action, or admiration.
• Awe – A sense of wonder and amazement, often in response to something vast or beautiful.

Maybe they flow into one another. I can spot a few that I don’t have. Hope is something I have in the long term because of my Christian faith, but between now and heaven, potentially, many unpleasant things might happen. I think I’m prone to be a little anxious or maybe even pessimistic, so hope is something that I need to push myself towards. Likewise, serenity isn’t something that comes naturally. Pride is generally considered sinful by Christians. It’s one of the seven deadly sins outlined by Pope Gregory the Great 😀. Now, as an evangelical, I don’t follow popes, but you’ll find plenty of Bible teaching that encourages humility. Think of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. We need to be aware of our sin and our need for a Saviour. But then again, there’s also a place for being pleased with your accomplishments. For example, David in Psalm 26 sounds quite boastful, but maybe it’s more about his policy about the type of person he strives to be. He comes across as quite humble in most psalms.

Not everyone likes the idea of God planning and shaping our lives, but it’s always been a great comfort to me. And maybe that flows into gratitude and even hope:

I can depend on him rather than “fate”, “chance”, or human behaviour and abilities.

Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Eph 1:11
^“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,”

A few years ago, I was going through Spotify to familiarize myself with modern Christian songs. I must say, I haven’t really bonded with 21st Century music in the way I bonded with 20th Century music. But one exception is a song named “Awesome in this Place“. I never remember singing it in church. It reminds me a little of “At Your Feet We Fall” which we used to sing at Bermondsey Christian Fellowship in London in the early 1980s. And then, I think of two older hymns that again, touch on how awesome God is.

Psalm 68:35
“O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!”