Emotional Reasoning: When Feelings Start Sounding Like Facts

Jul 17, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Jun 1

Have you ever had a day where your emotions ran the show?

Maybe you woke up feeling anxious and assumed that meant something terrible was bound to happen. Or maybe you felt unworthy—so you quietly agreed with the thought, “I’m just not enough.”

If so, you're not alone. Most of us, at some point, have fallen into a thought trap called emotional reasoning—when our feelings start telling us what is real and true. But friend, just because it feels dark doesn’t mean the sun has stopped shining.

The Science Behind the Spiral

In science, we call this pattern emotional reasoning—a cognitive distortion. It often follows a formula that looks something like this:

“I feel afraid, so I must be in danger.”
“I feel ashamed, so I must be a bad person.”
“I feel sad, so something must be terribly wrong.”

Here’s what happens: those thoughts spark emotions, which strengthen the thoughts, which grow the emotions… and suddenly we’re spiraling. Science calls this “circular causality.” I call it exhausting.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

What Dr. Burns (and Scripture) Teach Us About Healing

Dr. David Burns, one of the pioneers in cognitive behavioral therapy, once believed—as many therapists did—that healing came from venting emotions. But over time, he discovered something deeper: it’s not enough to express what we feel. We also need to challenge what we believe.

That resonates with what the Bible has been saying all along:

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Our feelings matter. They’re a gift from God. But they were never meant to take the lead. Instead, Scripture teaches us to bring our emotions under the authority of truth.

What the Bible Says About Emotions

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is full of human emotion—joy, sorrow, rage, longing, grief, hope. Emotions aren’t the problem. Unchecked emotions, however, can become misleading guides.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us there’s “a time to weep and a time to laugh…”
Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
And James 1:20 reminds us, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

God doesn’t dismiss our feelings—He just doesn’t let them define our reality. He lovingly asks us to examine our thoughts and test them against His truth.

Your Mind: The Gatekeeper of the Heart

Proverbs 4:23 says it this way:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

That guarding doesn’t mean stuffing down what we feel. It means watching what gets planted and watered in the soil of our soul. Thoughts are seeds. What we believe about ourselves, others, the world, and God will eventually grow to shape the emotional climate of our lives.

If we believe lies, we’ll live burdened. If we cling to truth, we’ll live anchored.

Practical Tools for Redirecting Emotional Reasoning

So what do we do when our feelings are loud and our thoughts are tangled?

Here are some practical (and biblical) steps you can take:

Notice the Emotion Early - Emotions are like ocean waves. They start small, rise, and fall. The earlier you notice them, the easier they are to manage.
Ask Yourself: “What Was I Just Thinking?” - Don’t stop at the feeling—trace it back to the thought that triggered it. Sometimes that thought is an image or memory, not words.
Challenge the Thought - Is this thought 100% true? What evidence do I have for or against it? What would I say to a friend who was thinking this?
Hold It Up to God’s Word - Align the thought with Scripture. If it contradicts what God says about you, it’s not a thought worth believing.
Practice Grace-Filled Repetition - This is a skill. It takes time. You’re not failing—you’re growing.

A Gentle Reminder for Your Heart

Healing doesn’t come from pretending we don’t feel things. It comes from learning how to tell our feelings the truth. You can honor your sadness without letting it say you’re damaged beyond repair. You can sit with fear without giving it the final word.

Because God’s truth is always greater than your most overwhelming emotion.

And friend, the more you align your thoughts with His Word, the more peace you’ll find waiting on the other side of that emotional storm.

One Simple Step You Can Take Today

The next time a big feeling shows up, pause and ask:“Is this emotion pointing me toward truth—or just sounding like it?”

Write down what you’re thinking. Line it up with Scripture. Let God’s Word be the light that determines your reality—not the false distortions of fear or shame.

At Still Waters Counseling, we walk with people every day who are learning to separate what they feel from what is real. You don’t have to do it alone. If you need help untangling the thoughts that are weighing you down, we’d be honored to walk with you.

Your emotions matter—but they don’t get to write your story. God does. And He’s not finished yet.