Inside Out 2 is a summer box office hit. Psychologists have endorsed it and claim it represents how we feel as we grow up. I used to think we needed the Holy Spirit to control our emotions. However, that thought process sometimes led me to suppress my emotions. Keeping our emotions in check with the Holy Spirit is something we must do every day. We also must help children navigate their complex feelings, too. Our creator gave us emotions and wants us to use them to glorify Him. Just today, in a Bible study about Prayer, Jackie Hill Perry said, “Emotions are God-given. They’re a part of what it means to be human. We need them, and they are a vital part of prayer.” She also shared this quote by Dan Allender.

Emotions are the language of the soul.

-Dan Allender

Therefore, God has challenged me not to suppress my emotions. Instead, we can allow God to use them to grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. In this article, we will analyze the nine Inside Out emotions from the movie and pair them with qualities in the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23.

The Emotion of Joy and the Holy Spirit’s Love.

Joy takes center stage in the movies. This emotion operates the control panel of Riley’s brain. It can be easy to confuse the emotion of joy with the joy within the fruit of the Spirit. The movie depicts Joy as a controlling emotion. When this emotion is operating the control panel, Riley feels happy. The character of Joy is a positive force that seeks to keep Riley’s life good. Likewise, when we allow the Holy Spirit to be in control, we can be confident that our lives are good. Because the movies depict this emotion as the controlling force, let’s consider the controlling quality within the fruit of the Spirit. It is love; without it, there is no joy.

In 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, we read that love is necessary to every other aspect of Christian living. Love is patient and kind. Kindness and patience cannot exist without love. In addition, these verses tell us that love keeps no record of wrong. It rejoices in truth, protects, trusts, and perseveres. Love lasts. It is greater than faith and hope. In Colossians 3:12-14, we are told to dress in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. Furthermore, it says that love is what binds these things together. Therefore, as we look at each emotion and compare it to qualities within the fruit of the Holy Spirit, remember that God is, first and foremost, LOVE.

The Emotion of Sadness to the Fruit of Joy

Sadness is an emotion that exists when we feel disappointed in our circumstances. It is ok to feel sad. The first Inside Out movie helps us to realize that. However, we can be sad and still have biblical joy. This joy shows contentment and satisfaction in all circumstances because we know God works in every situation. Paul tells us to “Count it all Joy” when we face trials. The joy within the fruit of the Spirit has more to do with the future than the present. We can find joy in what God will do above what is happening now. Feeling sad allows us to experience that joy.

The Emotion of Disgust to the Fruit of Righteousness

Disgust is the emotion that rejects something. We can feel disgusted when we perceive things as unfair. Others’ actions, certain foods, diseases, and injuries can also disgust us. Our culture and what we are taught determine much of what disgusts us. When we allow disgust to reach the feeling of revulsion and loathing, it can lead us to sin. However, it can also lead us to follow the right path. In Proverbs 6:16-19, we see seven things that disgust God. If we are disgusted by evil and sin, it can lead us to good lives.

The Emotion of Anxiety to the Fruit of Peace

Anxiety is a favorite character in the second movie. We can all relate to this emotion. Who hasn’t felt the panic when anxiety takes over our brains? Yet, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. When we do, the peace of God, which is bigger than our understanding, will guard our minds (Philippians 4:6-7). Feeling anxious allows us to experience the peace of the Holy Spirit.

The Emotion of Envy to the Fruit of Patience

Envy is an emotion that occurs when a person wants what someone else has. I will be honest: After researching the difference between jealousy, envy, and covetousness, I still have difficulty determining the exact difference. Jealousy and envy are not wrong. After all, God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5, 34:14). But just as the other’s emotions can lead to sin, envy can lead to coveting. And we know that the Ten Commandments tell us we should not covet. Therefore, how should we respond when we experience the emotion of envy? We can call on God to produce patience when we feel envious or jealous. These emotions allow us to see how God can work supernaturally, helping us wait for what we want.

The Emotion of Embarrassment to the Fruit of Kindness and Goodness

Embarrassment is one of my favorite emotions. I love how Pixar makes it a big emotion. I realize this emotion plays a big role in teenagers, but I see it in toddlers, too. When something happens to embarrass us, we can become defensive and unkind. Embarrassment can be so heavy that we forget what is good. We can allow the feeling of embarrassment to keep us from spreading the good news of Jesus to others. We may dislike this feeling so much that we give way to fear.

The Emotion of Fear to the Fruit of Faithfulness

The emotion of fear is also good when we fear God with awe and respect. However, when we allow our fear to keep us from trusting Him, we need the fruit of faith. The fruit of faithfulness is grown when we face our fears and trust God through our actions.

The Emotion of Anger to the Fruit of Gentleness

The Bible warns us against anger. Paul tells us that anger can lead to sin (Ephesians 4:26). Therefore, we sometimes believe we should not feel anger. Yet, anger in itself is not wrong. Righteous anger is when we feel angry toward sin. Therefore, when we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, we can produce gentleness even when we are angry. 1 Peter 3 tells us that we can respond to things that cause us anger with gentleness. Likewise, we want to ensure we are not the cause of other people’s anger. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that a gentle answer turns wrath away, and a harsh word stirs anger.

The Emotion of Ennui to the Fruit of Self-Control

Before Inside Out 2, I didn’t know that this emotion had a name. If you’re like me, you’ve felt weary and dissatisfied without knowing that ennui was a term for this emotion. I’m thankful that it does have a name. Naming it can help us to recognize it. When I feel ennui, I respond by staying in bed, watching movies, and disconnecting from what God wants me to be busy doing. If I want to overcome this emotion and grow the fruit of the Spirit, I need self-control to resist the temptation to give up and quit.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can be grateful that our emotions exist. It can be easy to believe that we have positive and negative emotions. However, we need to realize that all our emotions can lead us to sin or provide opportunities to see the Holy Spirit at work through us. To learn more about how the fruit of the Spirit can grow through us, visit Little Pot at DawnStephensBooks.com.

by Dawn Stephens

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