Blog Post 03.02.2014
"Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your Life In Christ"
by Peter Scazzero
LIVING GOD’S WAY—A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
"Truly, these have been the best twelve years of my life as a human being, husband, father, follower of Jesus, and leader in his church. I learned that if we do the hard work of integrating emotional health and spirituality, we can truly experience the wonderful promises God has given us—for our lives, churches, and communities. God will make our lives beautiful.
The apostle Paul recorded: "What happens when we live [authentically] God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard" (Galatians 5:22 MSG).
Using two popular versions of the Bible, let me demonstrate how Paul described these beautiful fruits in Galatians 5:22–23:
NIV - The Message
Love - Affection for others
Joy - Exuberance about life
Peace - Serenity
Patience - A willingness to stick with things
Kindness - A sense of compassion in the heart
Goodness - A conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people
Faithfulness - Involved in loyal commitments
Gentleness - Not needing to force our way in life
Self-Control - Able to marshal and direct our energies wisely
God promises if you and I will do life his way (even though it feels unnatural and hard to us initially), then our lives will be beautiful.
Take a few moments to pause in your reading. Read slowly and prayerfully the previous list, letting each word soak into you. Ask yourself honestly: "To what degree are these fruits realities in my life today?" Think about yourself at home, work, school, church. Allow God to love you where you are now. Ask him to do his work in you, that you might become the kind of person described in the previous passage.
What is so tragic is how few people who desire God, attend and serve their church faithfully, read their Bible, worship, pray, and attend Sunday school classes and small groups do in fact experience the beautiful life, these gifts from God. It goes back, I believe, to a spirituality divorced from emotional health—one that allows deep, underlying layers of our lives to remain untouched by God."
Barb's Response:
So I ponder the list, and I ask God to work on me... I am grateful for this season when I have the time to consider where God wants to work in my heart, emotions, relationships and life. It would be easy to get lazy.. and just hang out.. but this time is truly a gift from my Eternal Father, who desires the best for me. I need to ask myself hard questions now. No easy going life.. but a life pointed in the direction in which God wants it to be pointed, so He can bear eternal fruit through and in me.
I am tending to not have a lot of wisdom.. this has always been my stumbling block! I never know when to quit or give up or rest. Even if it means my health will suffer. My health is in a delicate balance right now and I really want to learn this time.. So Lord, help me see when I am not being wise. Help me have the beautiful life that You have offered. Help me say yes only when You want me to say yes. And please help me with the ‘no’s’ of life, that I will recognize them and be obedient to what I sense is Your leading. Thank You Lord, You have given me soul rest. I am eternally grateful.
"Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your Life In Christ"
by Peter Scazzero
LIVING GOD’S WAY—A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
"Truly, these have been the best twelve years of my life as a human being, husband, father, follower of Jesus, and leader in his church. I learned that if we do the hard work of integrating emotional health and spirituality, we can truly experience the wonderful promises God has given us—for our lives, churches, and communities. God will make our lives beautiful.
The apostle Paul recorded: "What happens when we live [authentically] God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard" (Galatians 5:22 MSG).
Using two popular versions of the Bible, let me demonstrate how Paul described these beautiful fruits in Galatians 5:22–23:
NIV - The Message
Love - Affection for others
Joy - Exuberance about life
Peace - Serenity
Patience - A willingness to stick with things
Kindness - A sense of compassion in the heart
Goodness - A conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people
Faithfulness - Involved in loyal commitments
Gentleness - Not needing to force our way in life
Self-Control - Able to marshal and direct our energies wisely
God promises if you and I will do life his way (even though it feels unnatural and hard to us initially), then our lives will be beautiful.
Take a few moments to pause in your reading. Read slowly and prayerfully the previous list, letting each word soak into you. Ask yourself honestly: "To what degree are these fruits realities in my life today?" Think about yourself at home, work, school, church. Allow God to love you where you are now. Ask him to do his work in you, that you might become the kind of person described in the previous passage.
What is so tragic is how few people who desire God, attend and serve their church faithfully, read their Bible, worship, pray, and attend Sunday school classes and small groups do in fact experience the beautiful life, these gifts from God. It goes back, I believe, to a spirituality divorced from emotional health—one that allows deep, underlying layers of our lives to remain untouched by God."
Barb's Response:
So I ponder the list, and I ask God to work on me... I am grateful for this season when I have the time to consider where God wants to work in my heart, emotions, relationships and life. It would be easy to get lazy.. and just hang out.. but this time is truly a gift from my Eternal Father, who desires the best for me. I need to ask myself hard questions now. No easy going life.. but a life pointed in the direction in which God wants it to be pointed, so He can bear eternal fruit through and in me.
I am tending to not have a lot of wisdom.. this has always been my stumbling block! I never know when to quit or give up or rest. Even if it means my health will suffer. My health is in a delicate balance right now and I really want to learn this time.. So Lord, help me see when I am not being wise. Help me have the beautiful life that You have offered. Help me say yes only when You want me to say yes. And please help me with the ‘no’s’ of life, that I will recognize them and be obedient to what I sense is Your leading. Thank You Lord, You have given me soul rest. I am eternally grateful.
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