Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Essay Example

Introduction

The author Peter Scazzero presents considerable information on his lifelong journey and mainly in the development of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS) over the last two decades that has changed his life and the church. The main purpose of this book is to show the ideas and practices of how we can be emotionally and spiritually healthy to allow Jesus to work more fully in us.This is through the love of God to others. EHS has several key elements that are emphasises which involves looking at the problems we face emotionally that are unhealthy, knowing ourselves so as to meet God honestly, looking at our past to help with the future, breaking our barrier or wall, surrendering to our limits, honoring God on daily basis with spiritual practices that are time-tested, maturing as an adult to love well and always putting the Love of Christ above everything.

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The book takes a different approach than traditional discipleship. Where a first approach is a transformative approach that is illustrated by an iceberg model that indicates that we can target 90% of what is unseen and is deep inside us. It is in these roots that we can be touched by Jesus Christ. The author also presents practical intentional prayers after each chapter. However, in this essay, I will conclude with a prayer that aims to encourage the reader.

Main Points

As Christians, our problems began with Adam and Eve being our first disobedience parents .Thus we are experiencing many negative aspects of humanity that make it difficult to have sincere relationships with our Heavenly Father and with others in our day to day life. The author points out that our world is focused on a global scale of consumption and advertisement to seek any and all pleasures. Furthermore, family traditions are not normally healthy in a way that brings us closer to Jesus Christ. If we can agree that, 'God created human beings in His own image'.This, therefore, means that we are not junk and we should respect the emotional side. Moreover, our culture expects us to be strong, first in everything, accumulate wealth, fame, material goods and expect us not to show any sign of emotion or weakness. However, in his book, Scazzero points out ten symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality that takes much time on an individual to practice or avoid .Christ had many feelings as witnessed in scripture, feelings such as anger.Also, Jesus portrayed weakness in his death and that he now lives in the power of God. We, however, have this hope through our savior Jesus to live in this power and transformation from our weakness.

Another concept from this book is knowing ourselves to meet and love God as the Bible indicates "to put off your old self.. and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness' St Teresa of Avila wrote in The Way of perfection: 'Almost all problems in spiritual life stem from a lack of self-knowledge'. Old versus new, who are you, Mr. Magoo? Mr. Magoo was a fictional cartoon character back in 1949 that had nearsightedness compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem at hand. The unfavorable situations he was in seemed to work out but put him no better than he was before of the situation occurred. Shed your old Mr. Magoo and become new!

Back to the future is another step to live in the present while we break free of destructive sinful patterns of our past. We then relearn how to be and live in God's family. Our Bible states many truths of sin and blessings that be passed to all the generations. Furthermore, a more startling picture in today's families owns the ten commandments. The good news is that we can be adopted into the family of God. Jesus called us to his family and declares us loveable and good enough in Christ. Then our discipleship can be worked out in truth and love. We have to be willing to work out our fear of keeping secrets in the dark that have wounded us in loving God and others. Take the good things from the past and leave the ugly in the past.

Another concept from the author is to travel through your wall or barriers in our life. This is a partial way through the dark side of the soul but then live on the other side faithfully, which starts and ends with love. Scazzero communicates various stages in his book but we can get stuck at the wall and the length of time is different for each individual. Various sins should be identified during this time but the credit should go be to God for getting us through the barriers. We then can live sobering on the truths that we are not in control of.

The other thing is to surrender to our limits and not blaming God for our situations. This is well explained in the case of Job in the Bible, who was a good example of this situation. It is also important to Recognize any addictions, through dropping many of our defenses and grieving the way God desired us to grieve as Job did, This teaching helps us to follow Jesus more closely and deeply. It is essential to process our feelings before God. Moreover, the Psalms is regarded as a school prayer to guide us in our emotional expressions. This can help us see the importance of climbing the latter of humility. The book points out that after having this new relationship with God, we hope to grieve God's way and this will change us forever!.

Spiritual practices our author offers are the Daily Office and a resurgence of God's command of the Sabbath as many of our current modern day practices are not giving us enough rope as Scazzero states. The Daily Office offers us to be in the presence of God several times a day, not as much as the monks rehearsed of being in four elements in this office time that includes: stopping, centering, silence and scripture. The Sabbath is also very essential and is time-tested and supported to give us the rest as indicated by God. This day is also about God and the rhythm in which Scazzero indicates that we can explore these areas on how to stop, rest, delight and contemplate. Our overworked lives and multitudes of conflicting concerns as Thomas Merton illustrates that we do violence to ourselves and it seeps in and indicates that we put ourselves in this violence. He states that it can make us unable to love others through the love of Christ.

As we read new skills in our spiritual journey, we grow to become mature adults. It takes time to apply correct biblical truths, shedding unconscious family traits and understanding that love is to reveal the beauty of another person to themselves. Scazzero points out when genuine love is released into a relationship, God's presence is manifested in, this helps to separate a space in between us and this becomes a sacred space.Some of the other skills involve embracing conflict, being a true peacemaker, listening , no mind reading, affirm expectations and being careful about emotional triggers from the past which triggers our current midst. Lastly, developing a "Rule of Life" that is an intentionally written plan that clearly allows us to put the Love of Christ above all else in our own life.

Strength and Challenges

Scazzreo demonstrated several strengths, first, he indicated that God is helping us in this relationship which he has offered us through Jesus Christ. This relieves us from some pressure if we have the courage to undertake these practices and putting others before ourselves. Secondly, knowing God from many written biblical passagesThis encourages us to bring our emotions to him in the Daily Office and on our Sabbath to obtain direction and rest. God's family is first and staying with a church that will help slowly reparent us is a strength as illustrated by the author. Third , is taking a hard look at our past and abolishing our own family of ten commandments was an important illustration. Fourth, getting to know our limits to understand we are not God as well as pursuing the humility latter. It prepares us further in loving God and other people.

Some challenges begin with the fear of the past and how it might change the present. trusted people were asked, "How do you experience me"?They suggest that it takes courage and prayer to work towards healing. Secondly, when approaching the dark night of the soul and focusing on our wall, it seems difficult to utter, 'I am bewildered, hurt, angry, sad, don't know what God is doing and why has he forsaken me'?.The third challenge is well illustrated by Scazzero where he decides to wait on the Lord and illustrates that meekness comes out of this patience but to wait in a culture that is geared towards forget it seems difficult. The final challenge would be stopping to surrender in our Daily Office and Sabbath, as Scazzero points out. Similarly, Robert Barron argued, at the heart of the matter, we refuse to accept God's rhythm for us.

Application to One's Life

We can use these several practices in our day to day life. First is to establish your weekly Sabbath as commanded by God, along with keeping all the other commandments. Secondly, the Daily Office is regarded as highly useful in multiple times per day. Through applying this, I have experienced the peace and rest which is required to work or solve domestic problems in a manner that is in line with God's commandments. Not always a perfect response, at times my ugly patterns arise, but my heart can be positioned as having Jesus' heart of discernment and compassion.

I found that working toward my barrier/wall and will purify my sins to begin this journey with trusted people. I will pray for trusted sources and be patient in this peeling away. I plan to re-read Job to better understand biblical truths and to look closely at my family ten commandments and slowly replace them with God's ten commandments. This then will help to make a written "Rule of Life" to be emotionally and spiritually healthy to allow Jesus to work more fully in and through me to love God and others as well.

My Prayer

"Oh God, thank you for who you are and what you have done to ease our burdens through your son Jesus. Please honor the gifts you have given us and recognize those gifts for you, the Body of Christ. Please bring us closer in the understanding of your plans and not our own. We pray you to reveal and help us through any barriers to meet you on the other side so we may rise to your occasion. In Jesus' holy name, Amen".

Bibliography

Scazzero, Peter, "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" Updated Edition 2017.

Mr. Magoo, a fictional character developed by UPA studio 1949 doi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Magoo

New Living Translation Bible