Issue 14: Pleasing To The Eye

From the Desk of a Christian Neuropsychologist

Author

Matthew Bridgman, PhD
September 26, 2025

“The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.”
—Genesis 2:9

As I’ve been reading through Genesis looking for references to emotions, one word caught my attention in this verse: pleasing.

Is “pleasing” an emotion? Maybe not in the strictest sense—but it certainly carries an emotional quality. We could say something that is pleasing stirs pleasant feelings, just as something unpleasant stirs the opposite.

Think of emotions this way: every emotion can be grouped as either pleasant or unpleasant.

  • Happiness, joy, excitement → pleasant.

  • Sadness, anger, fear, guilt → unpleasant.

We often label emotions as “good” or “bad,” but that can be misleading. What if all emotions—pleasant and unpleasant—were created by God with a purpose?

Of course, it’s easy to celebrate the pleasant ones. Who doesn’t want more joy, peace, or happiness? But the unpleasant emotions matter too. Fear warns us of danger. Anger can stir us to action when something isn’t right. Guilt can nudge us back toward what is good. Even unpleasant emotions have important functions.

As with everything God created, though, Satan loves to twist what is good and use it for harm. Both pleasant and unpleasant emotions can be distorted and misused. Joy can turn into self-indulgence. Anger can spill over into destruction. Anxiety can grow into paralyzing fear.

But before we focus on the distortions, it helps to pause and recognize the good purposes emotions can serve.

Reflection for the Week
Over the next several days, pay attention to your emotions as they come and go:

  • When do you notice pleasant emotions?

  • When do you notice unpleasant emotions?

  • What effect do they have on you—your thoughts, your choices, your actions?

  • Can you spot a time when an unpleasant emotion actually led to something good?

I’d love to hear what you notice as you pay attention in this way.

Grace and peace,

Photo Credit: Philip Bridgman