Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature

BILL OF RIGHTS Respect means I give myself and others the right to: Space and privacy (e.g., knocking on doors before entering, not opening one another’s mail, respecting each other’s needs for quiet and space); Be different (e.g., allowing preferences for food, movies, volume of music, and how we spend our time); Disagree (e.g., making room for ea

To feel is to be human. To minimize or deny what we feel is a distortion of what it means to be image bearers of God. To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love God, others, and ourselves well.

huge areas of my life (or iceberg, if you prefer) remained untouched by Jesus Christ.

The path we must walk is initially very hard. Powerful forces around and inside us work to smother the process of nurturing the seeds planted in each of us.14 At the same time the God of the universe has made his home in us

We have more questions than answers as the very foundation of our faith feels like it is on the line.

Three powerful temptations, however, threaten us. Each, in its own way, screams: “God’s love for you will never be enough! You are not lovable. You are not good enough.”

The work of growing in Christ (what theologians call sanctification) does not mean we don’t go back to the past as we press ahead to what God has for us. It actually demands we go back in order to break free from unhealthy and destructive patterns that prevent us from loving ourselves and others as God designed.

The Wall compels us into the Journey Inward.

The problem is that when we neglect our most intense emotions, we are false to ourselves and close off an open door through which to know God.

The vast majority of us go to our graves without knowing who we are.