We enter the new year with mixed feelings. The economic outlook seems shaky and uncertain. Our collective optimism about the past year has been tempered by sombre and cautious sentiments about 2012. The recent baptisms on Christmas Day have certainly inspired us and given a sense of positive excitement about what God is doing in our church community. The fourfold priorities for WVBC in 2012 and beyond serve to direct our energies and resources toward outreach, spiritual formation, community-building and discipling the generations. We have reasons to be positively engaged in 2012.
We need to address the ongoing challenge of becoming an authentic community of disciples who love Jesus and who love one another. What are the traits of a healthy spirituality that will ensure substantive growth in character and compassion? What are the symptoms of an unhealthy spirituality that will erode faith, hope and love? We shall explore these questions over the next eight weeks in our pulpit series: “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.”
I am aware of the frustrations and disappointments associated with superficial Christian living. I am mindful of the times when our souls are dry and our emotions are draining. I am alerted to the struggles of sincere followers of Jesus Christ who experience insecurities, the need for approval, addictions, self-loathing, feelings of failure and depression. I am concerned for those who have given up on the church because they are weary of Christians who are angry, compulsive, defensive, arrogant, opinionated and too busy to care.
Simply having the best intentions to become a good Christian is not enough. Our best efforts and sincere expectations could still leave us in a state of pain, discontentment and perplexing mess. I believe that God reaches deeper into our emotions, memories and spirit so as to transform us in our inner life and person. There are layers of our emotional life that have been impacted by a legacy of past hurts, relational crises and mental anguish. Shame, secrets, lies, betrayals, unresolved needs for love and acceptance, disobedience and unforgiving spirit simmer beneath. I believe we need healing and transformation. But it must begin with an honest realization that emotional health is vital to spiritual wellbeing. We cannot experience spiritual maturity without emotional maturity. I believe the work of divine love and grace in our lives include the work of healing, forgiveness and renewal through the Holy Spirit.
In Peter Scazzero’s book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, he lists ten symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality. Reflect on the following and allow the Spirit to speak into your heart:
- Using God as a way to avoid the difficult areas in my life God wants to change.
- Ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness and fear.
- Dying to the wrong things.
- Denying the impact of the past on the present.
- Dividing our lives into “secular” and “sacred” compartments.
- Doing things for God instead of being with God.
- Spiritualizing away conflict and thus avoiding conflict.
- Covering over brokenness, weakness, and failure.
- Living without limits and boundaries.
- Judging other people’s spiritual journey and experiences.
