Scazzero, Peter (2006-07-01). Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your Life In Christ (p. 25).
EMOTIONALLY UNHEALTHY SPIRITUALITY
"The pathway for your spiritual life I describe later in this book is radical. That is, it very likely cuts to the root of your entire approach to following Jesus. Trimming a few branches by, for example, attending a prayer retreat or adding two new spiritual disciplines to an already-crowded life will not be enough. The enormousness of the problem is such that only a revolution in our following of Jesus will bring about the lasting, profound change we long for in our lives. Before I prescribe this pathway, it is essential for us to clearly identify the primary symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality that continue to wreak havoc in our personal lives and our churches.
The following are the top ten symptoms indicating if someone is suffering from a bad case of emotionally unhealthy spirituality:
1. Using God to run from God
2. Ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness, and fear
3. Dying to the wrong things
4. Denying the past’s impact on the present
5. Dividing our lives into "secular" and "sacred" compartments
6. Doing for God instead of being with God
7. Spiritualizing away conflict
8. Covering over brokenness, weakness, and failure
9. Living without limits
10. Judging other people’s spiritual journey
1. Using God to Run from God
Few killer viruses are more difficult to discern than this one. On the surface all appears to be healthy and working, but it’s not. All those hours and hours spent lost in one Christian book after another . . . all those many Christian responsibilities outside the home or going from one seminar to another . . . all that extra time in prayer and Bible study. . . . At times we use these Christian activities as an unconscious attempt to escape from pain. In my case, using God to run from God is when I create a great deal of "God-activity" and ignore difficult areas in my life God wants to change. Some examples:
• When I do God’s work to satisfy me, not him
• When I do things in his name he never asked me to do
• When my prayers are really about God doing my will, not my surrendering to his
• When I demonstrate "Christian behaviors" so significant people think well of me
• When I focus on certain theological points ("Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way" [1 Corinthians 14:40]) that are more about my own fears and unresolved issues than concern for God’s truth
• When I use his truth to judge and devalue others
• When I exaggerate my accomplishments for God to subtly compete with others
• When I pronounce, "The Lord told me I should do this" when the truth is, "I think the Lord told me to do this"
• When I use Scripture to justify the sinful parts of my family, culture, and nation instead of evaluating them under his Lordship
• When I hide behind God talk, deflecting any spotlight on my inner cracks and becoming defensive about my failures
• When I apply biblical truths selectively when it suits my purposes but avoid situations that would require me to make significant life changes
How about an example? John uses God to validate his strong opinions on issues ranging from the appropriate length of women’s skirts in church to political candidates to gender roles to his inability to negotiate issues with fellow non-Christian managers at work. He does not listen to or check out the innumerable assumptions he makes about others. He quickly jumps to conclusions. His friends, family, and coworkers find him unsafe and condescending. John then goes on to convince himself he is doing God’s work by misapplying selected verses of Scripture. "Of course that person hates me," he says to himself. "All those who desire to be godly will suffer persecution." Ultimately, however, he is using God to run from God."
This is a good book. I think it can unearth difficulties in our walk with Jesus. Help me, Lord, to see myself for what I am. Help me see if I have any of these unhealthy practices. Help me know when I get ‘full of myself’ instead of filled with Your Spirit. I need You Lord. On my own I can make quite a mess. Thank You Lord for your patience, love and mercy.. never failing. I fail a lot. Some days more than others. Help me have the wisdom I need to walk through this life, facing whatever comes with Your Truth and Your Spirit guiding me only. Help me not to rely on myself but on You alone. Keep me aware and focused. Again, I need You. Help me see when I stray.
EMOTIONALLY UNHEALTHY SPIRITUALITY
"The pathway for your spiritual life I describe later in this book is radical. That is, it very likely cuts to the root of your entire approach to following Jesus. Trimming a few branches by, for example, attending a prayer retreat or adding two new spiritual disciplines to an already-crowded life will not be enough. The enormousness of the problem is such that only a revolution in our following of Jesus will bring about the lasting, profound change we long for in our lives. Before I prescribe this pathway, it is essential for us to clearly identify the primary symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality that continue to wreak havoc in our personal lives and our churches.
The following are the top ten symptoms indicating if someone is suffering from a bad case of emotionally unhealthy spirituality:
1. Using God to run from God
2. Ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness, and fear
3. Dying to the wrong things
4. Denying the past’s impact on the present
5. Dividing our lives into "secular" and "sacred" compartments
6. Doing for God instead of being with God
7. Spiritualizing away conflict
8. Covering over brokenness, weakness, and failure
9. Living without limits
10. Judging other people’s spiritual journey
1. Using God to Run from God
Few killer viruses are more difficult to discern than this one. On the surface all appears to be healthy and working, but it’s not. All those hours and hours spent lost in one Christian book after another . . . all those many Christian responsibilities outside the home or going from one seminar to another . . . all that extra time in prayer and Bible study. . . . At times we use these Christian activities as an unconscious attempt to escape from pain. In my case, using God to run from God is when I create a great deal of "God-activity" and ignore difficult areas in my life God wants to change. Some examples:
• When I do God’s work to satisfy me, not him
• When I do things in his name he never asked me to do
• When my prayers are really about God doing my will, not my surrendering to his
• When I demonstrate "Christian behaviors" so significant people think well of me
• When I focus on certain theological points ("Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way" [1 Corinthians 14:40]) that are more about my own fears and unresolved issues than concern for God’s truth
• When I use his truth to judge and devalue others
• When I exaggerate my accomplishments for God to subtly compete with others
• When I pronounce, "The Lord told me I should do this" when the truth is, "I think the Lord told me to do this"
• When I use Scripture to justify the sinful parts of my family, culture, and nation instead of evaluating them under his Lordship
• When I hide behind God talk, deflecting any spotlight on my inner cracks and becoming defensive about my failures
• When I apply biblical truths selectively when it suits my purposes but avoid situations that would require me to make significant life changes
How about an example? John uses God to validate his strong opinions on issues ranging from the appropriate length of women’s skirts in church to political candidates to gender roles to his inability to negotiate issues with fellow non-Christian managers at work. He does not listen to or check out the innumerable assumptions he makes about others. He quickly jumps to conclusions. His friends, family, and coworkers find him unsafe and condescending. John then goes on to convince himself he is doing God’s work by misapplying selected verses of Scripture. "Of course that person hates me," he says to himself. "All those who desire to be godly will suffer persecution." Ultimately, however, he is using God to run from God."
This is a good book. I think it can unearth difficulties in our walk with Jesus. Help me, Lord, to see myself for what I am. Help me see if I have any of these unhealthy practices. Help me know when I get ‘full of myself’ instead of filled with Your Spirit. I need You Lord. On my own I can make quite a mess. Thank You Lord for your patience, love and mercy.. never failing. I fail a lot. Some days more than others. Help me have the wisdom I need to walk through this life, facing whatever comes with Your Truth and Your Spirit guiding me only. Help me not to rely on myself but on You alone. Keep me aware and focused. Again, I need You. Help me see when I stray.