Dear Friend,
My heart’s desire is for you and me to live in victory and joy, with Jesus Christ as Lord over every area of our lives. But this is only possible when we comprehend how dearly He loves us and how precious we are to Him. That’s why my articles this year are focused on how to overcome our struggles and temptations.
While Satan’s goal is for us to grow weary and give in to all the trials, challenges, and temptations he sends our way, God’s Word promises that nothing can drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love:
Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture… None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us (Romans 8:37-38 MSG).
But if this is true–and it IS true–then why is it sometimes so hard to live victoriously as Christians?
To help you grasp the answers to this challenging question, this month I’m sharing vital insights from Chapter 3 of Dr. Peter Scazzero’s book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: “The Radical Antidote: Emotional Health and Contemplative Spirituality.” This book is transforming my life, and I know it can do the same for you!
Transformation
In the DVD teaching based on this book, Dr. Scazzero urges us:
Ponder honestly the genuineness and depth of your relationship with Jesus. The main idea of this study is revolutionary: Emotional health (defined as our ability to be self-aware and love well) and contemplative spirituality (defined as stopping and pausing to intentionally cultivate our relationship to Jesus). When these two are brought together, they offer nothing short of a spiritual revolution in our lives…It transforms the hidden places deep beneath the surface inside of us.
When we come to Christ and begin attending a church, the pastor usually encourages us to “be like Jesus,” have daily devotions, join a small group or Sunday school class, tithe, use our spiritual gifts, and share the Gospel with the Lost.
However, after the newness of our faith wears off, many of us continue to experience significant struggles, even though we are trying to follow our pastor’s prescription for a fruitful life. This is because, as Dr. Scazzero notes, “Past, deeply rooted behavioral patterns that move [us] away from Christ remain entrenched.”
Without even realizing it, we are greatly influenced by the world’s culture, which Satan has used for thousands of years as a weapon to separate us from God’s love. According to Dr. Scazzero, here are some of Satan’s lies:
Happiness is found in having things.
You should get all you can for yourself, as quickly as you can.
Security is found in money, power, status, and good health.
Seek all the pleasure, convenience, and comfort you can.
God is irrelevant to everyday life.
Christianity is just one of many alternative spiritualities.
There are no moral absolutes; whatever is true for you is what is true.
You’re not responsible for anyone but yourself.
This life on earth is all there is.
We must never underestimate the destructive impact of these lies, as Dr. Scazzero points out:
The influence of our culture has caused many Believers to ask, “What can Jesus do for me? Can He make me more prosperous, well adjusted, and peaceful?”…Many of us act as if God works for us, functioning as our personal assistant when we need Him. We, in effect, use God, squeezing Him into our image of what He should be like. When He allows suffering in our lives, we get mad at Him and pout. How dare He?”
But thanks to God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation, there’s hope for us to experience deep, ongoing transformation in our life with Christ!
Calling us to experience a spiritual revolution, Dr. Scazzero offers these definitions of “Emotional Health” and “Contemplative Spirituality,” two vitally important concepts in his book:
Emotional Health
Naming, recognizing, and managing our own feelings
Identifying with and having active compassion for others
Initiating and maintaining close and meaningful relationships
Breaking free from self-destructive patterns
Being aware of how our past impacts our present
Developing the capacity to express our thoughts and feelings clearly, both verbally and nonverbally
Respecting and loving others without having to change them
Asking for what we need, want, or prefer clearly, directly, and respectfully
Accurately self-assessing our strengths, limits, and weaknesses, and freely sharing them with others
Learning the capacity to resolve conflict maturely and negotiate solutions that consider the perspectives of others
Distinguishing and appropriately expressing our sexuality and sensuality
Grieving well
Contemplative Spirituality
Awakening and surrendering to God’s love in any and every situation
Positioning ourselves to hear God and remember His presence in all we do
Communing with God, allowing Him to fully indwell the depth of our being
Practicing silence, solitude, and a life of unceasing prayer
Resting attentively in the presence of God
Understanding our earthly life as a journey of transformation toward ever-increasing union with God
Finding the true essence of who we are in God
Loving others out of a life of love for God
Developing a balanced, harmonious rhythm of life that enables us to be aware of the sacred in all of life
Adapting historic practices of spirituality that are applicable today
Allowing our Christian lives to be shaped by the rhythms of the Christian calendar rather than the culture
Living in committed community that passionately loves Jesus above all else
Can you imagine living life in the fullness of these truths? I know this all sounds almost too good to be true. My prayer is that with emotional health and contemplative spirituality as my goals, through Christ I really can do all things as He gives me the strength (Philippians 4:13).
I may never win a gold medal in this race, but by God’s grace, strength, and endurance, I can reach the finish line. It’s my heart’s desire to get as far along the course as possible!
Dr. Scazzero names three important gifts that will help us move forward in this race God has set before us:
The gift of slowing down
The gift of anchoring in God’s love
The gift of breaking free from illusions
So you can further explore the wonderful illustrations Dr. Scazzero shares regarding these three amazing gifts, I urge you again to click this link and get your personal copy of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and unleash a revolution in YOUR life in Christ!
When we finally grasp the depth of God’s love for us, and truly understand how vital it is that we “grow up” spiritually and emotionally, we will be able to embrace His incredible vision for our life: To love Him, love ourselves, and love others in the fullness of who He has created each one of us to be. Then we will be able to passionately declare with the apostle Paul:
I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us (Romans 8:39 MSG).
I look forward to exploring Chapter 4 with you next month. This truth is rooted in God’s Word, and it will change your life, as it has changed mine.
Your friend on the journey,
This article is Part 3 in my series based on Dr. Peter Scazzero’s book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in Your Life in Christ. I hope you’ll read along with me by ordering your personal copy at inspiration.org/emotion.
* Excerpts are from Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, © Peter Scazzero, Thomas Nelson, 2011.
Barbara Cerullo is devoted to authentically sharing God’s love with women. She authors From Barbara’s Heart, where her spiritual insights, heartwarming family stories, and delightful anecdotes encourage readers with God’s faithfulness. Her husband, David, is CEO of Inspiration Ministries.
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