What About Emotional Health?

Spiritual health also includes Emotional Health. Our culture is permeated with fear, anxiety, frustration, acute stress, anger and a multitude of other negative, debilitating and often sinful emotions. Too many of us allow ourselves to be swayed by these prevailing tides of emotion and find ourselves feeling and behaving no differently than unbelievers.

The news media announces a spike in inflation and we are struck with anxiety. The company we work for announces cutbacks and our first thought is of bankruptcy. Someone fails to meet our expectations and we begin screaming about disloyalty and the fact that no one can be trusted. How healthy is this? What does it say about the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

It is nothing short of tragic how many people walk around scared or bored or anxious when Jesus promised us peace and joy and the abundant life. Here we are created and loved by God Himself, given the access to same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, promised eternal bliss in the presence of God and we can't even deal with the slightest disruption of our comfort zone without feeling abandoned or abused!

Taking control of our emotional life is critical to those who wish to grow and mature and be capable of taking on increased responsibilities in our homes, careers, churches, etc. An individual who cannot maintain their emotional equilibrium is going to experience very little success in life, exhibiting little of the fruit of the Spirit's presence in their life.

One thing that will help us to attain and maintain emotional health is to understand that our emotions communicate to us. Anthony Robbins makes this point brilliantly in his best seller, "Awaken the Giant Within." If we can understand what our emotions are telling us about our "self" we can move quickly into more faith-filled state of mind.

For example, quite often when I become angry, it is when an emotion is communicating to me that someone did not live up to my standards. So, when anger erupts I now ask myself a number of questions: Is this anger about my standards being broken? Was this person aware of my expectations and standards? Is this standard personal or cultural or is it universal and eternal?

If I expect you to speak to me in a soft reassuring tone of voice at all times but you begin gesticulating and speaking loudly and rapidly, is it "just" for me to become angry with you? Simply because I have assigned a negative connotation to such speech patterns does not mean that it is either true or that it is how everyone else should view it.

Maybe you have a rule that says, "For you to be my friend you must call me at least twice a week and constantly reassure me of your love. Furthermore, you must always agree with everything I believe." When those close to you fail to meet your requirements you then become angry. But were they aware of your expectations? Did you come into agreement with them concerning these rules?

The emotion of frustration often is telling us we are not satisfied with something or someone: we feel that things can be better. Okay. Ask yourself: If things can be better what am I willing to do to make it so?

Anxiety tells me that I believe I have discovered something God has overlooked. Is this true? Can it be true?

Fear tells me to prepare myself for difficulty or for a peculiar challenge. So, am I going to just sit there paralyzed by fear or am I going to listen to its message and get ready for the challenge?

If we will listen to our emotions and deal with their messages immediately, the negative energy from the anger, frustration, anxiety or other so-called negative emotions can be quickly turned to positive actions. Do not just give yourself to the negativity and act as if you were a victim. You are not. You are a disciple of Christ, empowered with His Spirit and fully capable of making constructive choices concerning your emotional responses.

Read Part 3: Mental Health