“No, no! Jesus didn’t experience anxiety!” we might say. I think this is a reaction to quickly judging emotions as bad and untrustworthy. Consider Christ’s prayer in the garden, as he neared death. We read quite disturbing words from Luke: “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground”.
I'm no etymologist, but words fascinate me. Kardia, in many of its uses, has captivated my attention for a long time. As a Bible student, kardia appears multiple times as the Greek word for heart.
Not the organ that pumps blood through your body. Kardia is the figurative core of your being. It is the seat and center of human life, emotion, volitional will. It is the "causative source of one's psychological life in its various aspects." All that to say, your heart is a huge deal and deserves attention and care!
That’s my dog. You know what he’s doing? He’s bringing glory to God. You know how I know? Because he’s doing what dogs do. He’s being completely dog-ish. Sometimes he does other things. He chases squirrels, he digs for voles (our yard is evidence of this), he barks at Steve, our neighbor, he eats, and well, other things. These are all things that dogs were designed to do. When he does what he was made to do, he brings glory to his Creator.
