It might also mean taking a vacation or retreat to get away from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with your spiritual self.

I truly believe the greatest gift we can give the world is our true self living in loving union with God. (89) Peter Scazzero learned the hard way: you can't be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.Scazzero employs the metaphor of an iceberg to illustrate that our deepest person is untouched by Jesus when we are emotionally immature. In effect, that we are keeping the Holy Spirit chained up in the above-water portion of our iceberg spirit. This underscores the author’s limited understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, and the sovereignty of God over all of His Creation. I would argue that the converse is true, we ourselves cannot access the depths of our own souls, our knowledge and awareness of our sin and our true identity are only be revealed by the work of the Spirit. (Ps. 139: 23-24/ 1Cor 2:10-11) We have not, and in no way can we limit God. Since then, my wife Geri and I have given ourselves to equipping leaders and churches to move from a shallow Christianity to real depth in Christ. A good discipleship course will not only teach you about the Bible and theology but also provide you with practical tools to help you deal with your emotions in a healthy way.

The book presents a “radical truth…a simple but profound reality”, referring to the concept that emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable. But, this life changing truth comes without a Scripture reference. It is indeed a valid point that the two are connected and related. But, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality errs however in placing it’s hope in this concept, that emotional health and contemplative spirituality combined are the key to fixing things. He states, “…if we do the hard work of integrating emotional heath 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.” He goes on to quote Gal 5:22, and to expound upon the fruits of the Spirit. But this passage in Galatians is a call to walk by the Spirit (v16) instead of the flesh; Scazzero’s application of this text to deal with emotional health. Trading the call to walk by the Spirit to emphasizing emotional health, we are left to walking a fine line of a sort of prosperity gospel: follow the seven steps and you will be blessed. I would never recommend this book to anyone, especially anyone not solidly rooted in Biblical and theological truths. It can manifest in various ways, such as denying or suppressing emotions, using spirituality to avoid dealing with emotional issues, or using spirituality to control or manipulate others. It can also be a sign that you need to take steps to protect yourself or make changes in your life. As a pastor of a church, Scazzero was trying to lead through pure effort with no attention to his emotional life. Only when his relational life began to fray at the edges did he begin to take a closer look at emotion. At the outset of the book, he identified 10 symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality that serve as a useful diagnostic tool.

While I am completely behind the idea that understanding one’s emotions is important to our journey in life, I don’t follow or agree with much else the author says in this book. The consequences of sin are absent, many Scripture references are absent, the incorrect emphasis is placed on personal effort and not much on the work or power of the Spirit. Sanctification isn’t mentioned. And, I don’t think the Gospel message and its transformative power was spoken of at all.

If you have experienced trauma or difficult experiences in your past, it is important to seek professional help to process those experiences. As you strive for emotionally healthy spirituality, it’s important to set boundaries that help you maintain your mental and emotional well-being. Reflecting on the last two decades of leading Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, I've been able to identify at least 10 core axioms (probably more like 25!) that have stood the test of time. In many ways, they are a "cliff-notes" introduction to an emotionally healthy church culture.In today's podcast, I walk through the 3 reasons our love often stops short of this measurement, and what we can do to deepen the way we love others. Near the end of the book, he encourages the practice of two specific disciplines--the daily office and the Sabbath--to grow in our understanding of God and understanding of self. Attention to God and delighting in his creation are essential practices that we too often hurry past. It never entered my mind that God might be speaking to me in the “feeling” realm in a way that did not compromise his truth. How could I listen to my desires, dreams, likes and dislikes? Wouldn’t they potentially lead me the way of rebellion, away from God? As emotionally mature Christian adults, we recognize that loving well is the essence of true spirituality. (179) I would have preferred the title “know God that you may know yourself” since Scazzero does state that “awareness of yourself and your relationship with God are intricately related.”

Daria has also been studying astrology, the Tarot, and natural healing practices for many years, and has written widely on these topics. In the midst of the hustle, we have to create interludes to re-center our hearts on the presence of God. For eight weeks, each morning and evening devotional will help you create that much-needed space for silence and reflection. You will be encouraged with thoughtful readings and questions to consider. And after each a closing prayer, you'll return to your day with a renewed sense of purpose and peace. This devotional is drawn from the bestselling book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and can be read as a companion book or enjoyed on its own. I heard Peter Scazzero earlier this year speak at a conference (he co-presented with his wife and I was deeply impressed with how the two worked together and rely on each other as a marital team). His seminar was excellent and so I was looking forward to reading his most famous book. It did not disappoint. Taking time to rest and recharge is essential for maintaining your emotional and spiritual well-being.The workbook includes exercises, discussion questions, and practical tips that will help you apply the principles of emotionally healthy spirituality to your daily life. Despite a promising title, the cover of the book had a few red flags: "Unleash a revolution in your life in Christ!" I don't really know what that means, despite it being the sort of phrase of buzzwords that has surrounded me for years, and the words "unleash" and "revolution" paired with "life in Christ" made my skin crawl. The tagline on the front, "it's impossible to be spiritually mature, while remaining emotionally mature" had a cadence that made me read it exclusively in the voice of a movie trailer narrator (and now you are too. You're welcome). Avoid conflict in the name of Christianity Ignore his anger, sadness, and fear Use God to run from God Live without boundaries Your expectation is unconscious. You didn't even know you had an expectation until it was violated.