Cashing In on Emotions

The secular world has figured out how to cash in on emotions. Television simply has to be the greatest expression of that truth. From fear to love to dreaminess to insecurity, shows and commercials have captivated and entertained us by manipulating and playing on our emotions. We love to love and we love to fear. Emotions are indeed a powerful part of our creation.

The ministry world has also found many methods of cashing in on emotions. They too have their powerful dramas, events and commercials. Every Sunday across the world, pulpits are filled with men and women wooing, scaring, begging, enticing and recruiting. Many of the best of these leaders are growing large ministries by emotion. Mel Gibson cashed in on the emotions of the church with his movie “The Passion”. Christian book companies and publishers are stilling rolling in the royalties as churches and Christians follow the Big Mo (that is momentum - check out John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership) without even asking, “Why?” Pastors and teachers, most with really good intentions, intentionally use media, images and the like to target the emotions of people so that they will “choose for Christ.”

On Christian television channels and meetings all around the world, would-be Christians and would-be disciples of Christ are whipped into frenzies of believing, claiming, proclaiming and most of all giving. The emotions are the path to this type of ministry and it is disgusting to see someone cashing in on emotions using the promises and teachings of God.

There is also a flipside though of leaders who have no emotion of their own, are afraid of emotion or who reject emotion all-together as evil. These leaders miss the point that people were created with passion. Pulpits all across the world are filled each week with these cardboard leaders who speak much and whose life and words inspire little. Many of them frown on an emotional response to God’s truths. These people have erred an entirely different way and have forgotten the dances, songs, crying, praising and prayers of people who encountered God.

Everyone will most likely agree that emotions out-of-control that result in poor or disturbing behavior are not productive (we could say “wrong” – see yesterday’s article) and a sign of immaturity. So many people though are willing to accept emotions out-of-control that result in perceived good, increased attendance, increased giving or the like. Alas, the beast of situational ethics raises its ugly head and tries to refute God’s consistent and unchanging truths and laws.

The Christian Leader needs to love the fact that God created mankind with emotions but should not make emotions the target of their influence. Emotions are excellent and are designed to be the reaction to our thoughts which are the reactions to our beliefs. Emotions precede every action as well. It is most excellent that people react emotionally when encountering God and His truths. People should be encouraged to respond as God touches their lives and illuminates their minds. People should be allowed to lift their hands, to praise God as well as sit quietly and humbly overwhelmed before God. Emotions are not bad. However, emotions should not be used as the pathway to decision or profit. It is easy to play upon the emotions of the crowd but those emotions will fade and unless there has been a deep encounter with truth the crowd will wane. The leader then enters a cycle of more emotional experiences to keep the crowd “growing” and the crowd is taught that it is all about what “reaches them.” The leader must either move from meeting to meeting or must focus their ministry on emotionalism where the outcome of emotion is the success factor of ministry. The people and the leaders slowly forget that the emotion was once a reaction to an encounter with God as they are quietly deluded into seeking only the emotion for whatever result.

Leaders need to return to teaching the truths of God in wholeness. Leaders need to begin to focus once again on leading people to deep, meaningful encounters with God (not emotion) regardless of the emotion that results, the number of counted responses or the size of the offering. Leaders need not seek outward signs but inward change for their people.

Most leaders who get their eyes off the ball and begin to seek the result - rather than the truth and the encounter with God - do not have ill motives. Nonetheless, these leaders need to refocus. As for the men and women who are lining their pockets, filling shallow churches and cheating would-be Christians by cashing in on their emotions – may God have mercy upon their souls.