An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression – Proverbs 29:22
2 Samuel chapters 2 and 3 provide an excellent script for a movie about a man who held a favorable position as a military officer, yet who was unable to tame his emotions. This man was Joab, David’s nephew—commander over the servants and army of David, the king of Judah. This role included handling the grim realities of battle, which led to the death of his brother, Asahel, and fueled Joab’s desire for revenge. Joab’s act of retribution ultimately compromised his relationship with David and led to his downfall.
If I were to describe emotions and feelings metaphorically, it would be like an older, stronger sibling (emotions) reacting to what a younger, weaker brother or sister (feelings) said happened. Such was the case with Joab’s behavior when he chose to exact revenge without knowing the details. Had he learned those details, they would have revealed that Abner acted in self-defense rather than killing his brother in cold-blooded murder. This is why untamed emotions are not always reliable, as they are fueled, oftentimes, by unprocessed feelings.
Unlike a robot, we have been given the wonderful gift of free will by God to think and behave as we choose; however, our free will can be impaired when operating on faulty equipment, such as unresolved emotional matters.