Shame. Anger. Anxiety. How can we see these seemingly negative feelings as a holy gift? In Mastering Our Emotions (InterVarsity Press, Jan. 2025), Dr. Kevin Chapman, a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in cognitive behavioral therapy and the founder/director of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, explains, with pastoral wisdom and therapeutic skill, how we can master our emotions... instead of being mastered by them.
What prompted you to write this book at this time in your life and in this cultural moment?
As a believer and clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety and related disorders, the Holy Spirit has revealed to me over time the parallel between what the Word of God says about emotions and what I have examined through both research and clinical practice. I have observed firsthand many believers who struggle with implementing the Word of God in their lives and also struggle with the same syndromes that I treat relatively rapidly on a regular basis at our center. Along these lines, the Lord prompted me to write this book as I was worshipping at a minister’s conference in Colorado a few years ago. I initially “beta tested” the concept in small groups at our church, leading to several testimonies from fellow churchgoers about mastering anxiety, eliminating panic, and breaking free of insomnia. In short, the rapid relief that I have found with cognitive behavioral therapy with many of my clients who struggle with intense emotions should be even stronger when the Word of God is applied in a collaborative, structured fashion.
What are the greatest lessons you’ve learned about mastering emotions as you work with people and as you study Scripture?
That emotions are never the problem but, rather, our responses to these emotions. The Bible contains a plethora of scriptures on the function of emotions and how to practically navigate situations that trigger these emotions. Additionally, emotions help us make sense of our world, help us navigate our world successfully, and can show us how to glorify God in the process. Genetic predispositions are a part of the fall; however, Jesus came to redeem us from these predispositions and has given us the ability to successfully navigate emotions so that we may be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
How do our negative emotions impact our lives as followers of Jesus?
The problem with many of us in the church is that we perceive negative emotions as dangerous, and therefore we engage in strategies aimed at pushing these emotions away that backfire and perpetuate more negative emotions. This unfortunately has created a stigma in the body of Christ over time. When we study the Word, we find numerous descriptions of negative emotions in addition to examples of responses to negative emotions. When we learn that negative, just like positive, emotions serve an adaptive purpose in our lives, they can help us be emotionally regulated and better witnesses to the world.
What are a few of the key skills we need for healthy emotional engagement?
Learning to be present is an essential skill and corresponds to Psalms 16:11. Learning to be renewed in your mind is also central, corresponding to Romans 12:2. Learning to be brave and to confront strong emotions and the situations that trigger these emotions is also critical, as in 2 Timothy 1:7.
Why do we need emotions, negative and positive, in the first place?
Emotions help us make sense of our world and help us respond to both internal and external events. Without emotions, we would not be able to accomplish goals or avoid danger; we would not be able to mend relationships or respond appropriately if we wrong someone.
What exactly is a “victim mentality?”
I define a victim mentality as “a thinking pattern that implies that I have suffered from a destructive action that has led to permanent damage.” The key word in this definition is “permanent,” which unfortunately creates a vicious cycle of negative emotionality and perceived helplessness.
How does remaining a “victim” impact our physical, emotional, and spiritual health?
A victim mentality can create “futility in the mind” and cause us to have a negative impression of God and his nature in addition to people who we encounter. Additionally, it can cause us to be more attentive to our genetic predispositions and emotional conditioning rather than who we are in Christ and what the Word of God says about us. Physically, the autonomic nervous system being continuously activated can increase levels of cortisol, the stress hormone in the body, and can cause long-term damage to the cardiovascular system, as well as increase pain, fatigue, and other health problems.
What struggles have you faced in mastering your own emotions?
Mastering emotions is a process for all of us, me included. Being a product of my own environment and having to navigate feelings of abandonment, I have had to learn over the years to respond to my emotions, including anxiety and anger, from a biblical perspective. As I have learned to not judge my emotions while acknowledging that I am accepted by God, despite some experiences that have occurred with people, I have increasingly been able to master my emotions.
What is the biggest roadblock for people who are ready to begin mastering their negative emotions?
Distress tolerance is the perception of being able to withstand uncomfortable emotional states and the behavioral act of doing so. Many of us struggle with mastering emotions because we have the perception that we can’t tolerate being uncomfortable and, therefore, engage in strategies aimed at feeling better, at avoidance, that backfire and make us feel worse. This is by far the biggest roadblock to mastering emotions: avoidance.
If you could say one thing to fellow believers about their emotions, what would it be?
That your emotions serve an adaptive purpose. Your ability to enhance your relationship with God is directly related to your ability to master your emotions and learn to think about yourself the way God thinks about you. Emotions are never the problem; our learned responses are. This can be reprogrammed!
