I recently sat down to fill out my little one’s baby book. Throughout the pages, there were random questions to be answered concerning the year he was born. One read, “What was the number one film for the year of your baby’s birth?”
Interestingly, this made me search the web to see which movie performed the best at the box office. What I found was that in 2024, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 was the year’s top-grossing movie domestically. This summer box office hit told the story of Riley Andersen, a teenage girl who was learning a lot about herself and her ever-changing emotions.
Throughout the film, viewers meet the “emotions” that guide Riley’s every step. These include characters from the first film (her emotions before becoming a teenager): Joy, Anger, Disgust, Sadness, and Fear. The 2024 movie introduces viewers to new characters, including Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and more.
Families, adults, and individuals alike flooded the theaters to see this feeling-filled flick. According to Box Office Mojo, the animated picture grossed $652,980,194, giving it the number one domestic slot for 2024. Likewise, Forbes reported that the film made $1.045 billion internationally.
There is no denying that, with sales like these, the film was a hit for many.
While viewers can give Pixar props for its bright, bold colors that fill the screen, it also offers parents an excellent opportunity to discuss the many emotions their children may face (or come in contact with) as they grow older.
Looking back at this film, it is no shock that a movie about emotions did so well. In today’s culture, we are constantly told “how” and “what” we should feel. Mental and anxiety disorders continue to skyrocket. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America specifically reports that of children ages 13 to 18, 31.9% are affected by anxiety disorders.
At the same time, others preach the message of doing what feels right, regardless of whether or not it is – in fact – biblical truth. On the flip side, these feeling-lead issues of today, while prevalent, are not new.
Throughout Scripture, we see countless examples of emotions ranging from lust to anger, jealousy to joy, and everything in between. After all, one of the most profound and powerful verses showcases Jesus’ own emotions following the death of His beloved friend Lazarus.
Known as the shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35, which says, “Jesus wept,” shows believers how Jesus – while both fully God and fully man – experienced sadness, love, and more.
Another area of the Bible that showcases emotions can be found in Galatians 5. Here, Paul, the passage’s author, shares what is expected of a believer and encourages us to put away the things of the world in order to follow Christ. In verses 16-18, he writes:
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”
However, knowing his audience, Paul continues his writing in the latter part of verses 19-21 by getting specific and including 15 actions and emotions that shouldn’t be an attribute of a believer. These include “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, and carousing.”
That’s a lot of issues – three of which were covered in the kid’s movie mentioned above! It further shows us how destructive our emotions can be, even at a young age.
Thankfully, though, Paul doesn’t stop there. In verses 22-24, he reminds us that once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit and that through Him, we have the potential to use our feelings for good. They say:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
By dwelling on these things, we have the opportunity to share the Spirit that is living inside us and use our emotions and actions to point others to Him. Meanwhile, He will begin to change us from the inside out – and He won’t need cartoon characters to get the job done.
