Building on early philosophical roots, modern psychology of emotion was decisively shaped by Magda B. Arnold (1960), who proposed that emotions arise from appraisals, the mind’s evaluative judgments of meaning for the self, an idea later refined by Richard Lazarus (1966; 1991), Klaus Scherer (1984; 2001), Nico H. Frijda (1986), and Ortony, Clore, and Collins (1988). Among these, Frijda’s influential laws of emotion, including the laws of situational meaning, concern, reality, habituation, comparative feeling, hedonic asymmetry, conservation of emotional momentum, closure, and care for consequence. These principles describe lawful regularities by which emotions track what matters to us, persist, adapt, and shape action, revealing emotions not as irrational intrusions but as intelligible guides to value and responsibility. From a Christian perspective, this appraisal-based view resonates with Scripture’s portrayal of the heart and mind as meaning-making (Prov. 4:23), emotions as truthful responses to perceived good or threat (Ps. 34:4; John 11:35), and their wise regulation through renewed judgment and trust in God (Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:6–7). Practically, this body of work empowers personal wellbeing by helping individuals understand, regulate, and align emotions with virtuous concerns. In addition, such work advances societal health by informing education, therapy, leadership, and conflict resolution, cultivating empathy, accountability, and peace (Matt. 5:9).