Understanding Emotional Overwhelm Through a Faith Lens
Have you ever felt hijacked by a wave of emotion you didn’t see coming—and couldn’t control? If not, feel free to browse other posts, but if you’ve experienced this (or love someone who has), I invite you to keep reading. I hope what follows will offer insight and maybe even relief.
This month, it happened to me twice. Two different days, two different emotions showed up uninvited and took over. One day it was anger; another day, the heavy, gray fog that tends to follow Eeyore around.
These episodes don’t happen as often as they used to, but when they do, I’m learning to slow down and pay attention—to get curious about what’s happening beneath the surface.
If you’ve read my writing before, you might remember that I’m fascinated with the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model which is a framework for understanding the inner parts of ourselves. I’ve also been rereading the book Try Softer and reflecting on how these softer, compassionate ideas intersect with my walk with Jesus.
As someone wired as an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), I experience emotions deeply. For years, I saw this as a liability. Now I’m beginning to see it as an invitation. I’m learning emotions and pain, can be doorways to deeper connection with God. But I don’t always open the door willingly. Sometimes I hide, like someone pretending they’re not home when a difficult neighbor rings the bell.
If the message is important, that neighbor tends to return—and knock louder.
For a long time, I didn’t know what to do with the parts of me that became rigid with stubborn, silent anger or sank under a heavy weight of depression. Influenced by verses like “Die to self” or “Take every thought captive,” I assumed these feelings were enemies to be eliminated.
As I’ve read Boundaries for Your Soul, which explores IFS through a Christian lens we’re seen as having internal “parts”—specifically, Protectors, Exiles, and our core Self (which they refer to as Spirit-led self for believers).
Protectors include Managers and Firefighters—parts of us that work hard to keep our wounded Exiles from feeling pain again. Their strategies may seem intense, but when we pause to understand them, we often find they’re rooted in a deep belief that we’re on our own—that no one else will step in to protect us. It’s a survival instinct. But part of healing is gently reminding these parts that we’re not alone anymore—God is with us now.
One image that’s really helped me: Protectors are like soldiers who learned how to fight a long time ago—only they don’t realize the war is over. They’re still scanning the horizon, ready to defend.
They don’t realize how God has been healing you—how He’s grown and matured you over time. They’re doing their best with outdated orders.
Boundaries for Your Soul compares these internal parts to the people Jesus interacted with: The sanctimonious, the straying and the suffering.
The Sanctimonious, like Pharisees, who cling to rules, and “shoulds” and have similarities with some of our Inner Manager parts.
The Straying, like the woman at the well, we too are often driven by Firefighter parts trying to numb or fix pain.
The Suffering, like the Exiles within us who are carrying stories and lies like “I’m not lovable,” “I’m not enough,” or “I don’t belong.”
What strikes me about Jesus is that He never dismissed any of these people. He always connected before He corrected. He made space for them. He saw them.
That’s what I’m learning to do with my own parts.
What strikes me about Jesus is that He never dismissed any of these people. He always connected before He corrected. He made space for them. He saw them.
Take the depressive cloud that rolled in recently. I tried to power through—first by pushing through my quiet time, then by distracting myself with busyness—but nothing lifted it. I wanted it gone, but it stayed. Then I remembered…this might be a part trying to protect me from something. Firefighters often show up with distractions or shutdowns—scrolling, overeating, numbing out. This one brought a heavy fog.
Eventually I remembered to stop pushing it away and said: “I see you, dark cloud. You must have shown up for a reason. Thank you for trying to help.”
And slowly, it began to lift.
Underneath, I met another Firefighter—what I’ve come to call “The Wall.” This part has helped me disconnect from pain throughout my life when things felt unbearable. It was trying to help too. I thanked it.
With those parts seen and heard, I had space to meet the Exile underneath—an old, familiar wound named Insecurity. Something had triggered it, echoing a lie I believed as a child: “You have to be like them, to have value and be ok.”
I sat with that part and asked where I felt it in my body. Paying attention, I went through my body parts (not my neck, not my chest, not my eyes, etc.). I began to feel it as a full-body sensation—the belief covering me like skin. Then I paused and questioned, “Jesus, are you near?”
And He was. He came close—so close. I sensed Him like a covering, a full-body hug filled with light and truth. His presence shed light on the lie, not with force, but with love.
As Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, “nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In that moment, I felt love break through, bridging the gap between the lies and the truth. I felt surrounded by Jesus’s love.
This is how healing has been showing up in my life: slow, gentle, honest, internal—and deeply rooted in how Jesus sees us. Not as problems to fix, but as people to love.
So, when those big emotions show up again—when your protective parts try to take over—what if you didn’t push them away? What if you got curious instead? What if you thanked them for trying to protect you, and gently reminded them:
“The war you’ve been fighting is over. I’m safe now. I have new resources. Jesus is with me. And remember—you’re not all on your own to figure this out.”
Reminder: No emotion, no protector, no inner battle can separate us from His love.
Romans 8:38-39 NIV “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This quote came across my radar this week…
“Pain redeemed is more impressive than pain removed.”—Phillip Yancey
Abundant life isn’t found in escaping pain, but in letting God redeem it. It’s a narrow road, yes—and sometimes crushing—but it leads to deep and lasting freedom.
I know I’m not the only one with a complicated inner world. And I also know I’m not like the masses—and I’m learning that’s okay. If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message or comment below and let me know what stirred in you. We weren’t meant to do this alone.
If this didn’t connect, that’s okay too—thank you for reading this far. And if someone you know might need these words, feel free to pass them along.
However you’re wired, may you keep following Jesus. And may we each continue to look more and more like Him.
To God be the glory…
Reflection Questions
When was the last time a strong emotion surprised you?
What might it have been trying to signal or protect?Is there a part of you that shows up with anger, sadness, or numbness?
What would it look like to be curious instead of critical when a hard feeling rises up?
Can you imagine speaking kindly to a protective part of you?
What “old orders” might your internal protectors still be following?
What truth do they need to hear today?Are there lies you believed long ago that still shape how you respond to pain?
What would it look like for Jesus to speak truth to that place?
Til Next Time,
Lisa
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