Emotions as Messengers, Part 2 : Disgust, Fear & Anticipation

Show Notes: In this episode, Kia continues breaking down the seven primary emotions from her book Emotions as Messengers — covering disgust, fear, and anticipation, plus a look at how mixed emotions work together.What we cover:Disgust isn't just an unpleasant reaction — it's holy discernment in the body. Disgust signals that something sacred is being violated, whether through betrayal, exploitation, or harm to a person's worth. Kia talks about writing this chapter not only for those who've experienced harm, but for those who feel they've caused it too. She unpacks how trauma shapes our experience of disgust, and why receiving this emotion well starts with one thing: taking it seriously.Fear gets a reframe many of us have never heard in church. "Do not be afraid" isn't a command to shut the feeling down — fear's real message is look out, pay attention. At its core, fear is the guardian of attachment. It shows up when the distance between us and the people (and the God) we need has grown too great, calling us back to connection rather than away from it.Anticipation is the forward-leaning emotion that never fully resolves — and that's by design. Every good thing we reach for (marriage, healing, community, belonging) arrives, is genuinely good, and still leaves us reaching. Kia draws on Augustine's restless heart to explain why: we were made for a connection only God can fully satisfy.Mixed emotions: Kia closes with how these primary emotions blend like paint colors, creating the tension and depth we feel in real life — and why holding multiple emotions at once without forcing a quick resolution is its own form of surrender.Mentioned in this episode:Emotions as Messengers by Kia Gutiérrez — available exclusively on AmazonDr. Tim Mackie / The Bible Project (on parallelism in the Psalms)Augustine of Hippo, ConfessionsComing up next: Part Three — The Mission. Once we've received the message of our emotions, what do we actually do with it?