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In his book Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, pastor and author Peter Scazzero provides a framework of specific steps churches can take to create a culture of emotionally and spiritually healthy Christians. But before outlining what steps churches can take to build this culture, Scazzero focuses on specific ways churches are failing when it comes to creating healthy followers of Jesus. Number one on his list: too many churches tolerate emotional immaturity. (Feel free to read through Emotionally Healthy Discipleship on your own to read about some of the other failures of the modern church, as well as solutions.)
Fortunately, this is a barrier that churches can overcome. But because some Christians are in churches that have tolerated, or even created a culture of emotional immaturity, many Christians haven’t been taught the importance of self-reflection and identifying growth areas. Personal self-reflection is a vital part of personal growth, as it helps each of us acknowledge we have some areas in our emotional and spiritual life which need to be strengthened.
READING & JOURNALING:
What are two or three growth areas in your emotional and spiritual life?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, today I’m reminded that even though I have growth areas, this doesn’t mean that I’m a failure or weak. It simply means that I need to lean more into You and Your strength. As I lean into You this week, I pray that You will create within me a hunger to grow emotionally and spiritually. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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