A Faithful Emotional Process
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. ”
Primal humans were required to live in survival mode. It was an evolutionary gift, allowing us to always be on guard against predators. Survival is our most demanding instinct and, thus, the hardest to overcome. Only through mature emotional reflection can we transition from a state of survival to an intentional, meaningful life.
We are good at marking where we last read a page in a book or charting each day’s workout, but when was the last time you organized a chart of your emotional growth? Emotional growth charts are beneficial for at least two reasons. One, they pull us out of our survival mentality. Second, they help us recognize that we are growing and improving. Emotional development often occurs in such small increments that it goes unnoticed, especially when we are not paying close attention. Once we recognize our subtle emotional shifts, lasting change can occur.
Recognizing subtle improvements reshapes the directions we take in the future. As people of faith, we invite God’s Spirit into our process of emotional growth. Be intentional with journaling our affirmations after we prayerfully ask for the Spirit’s direction. It is helpful to archive your growth so you can recognize your progress. Be humble with others, but it is advantageous to be honest with yourself and God by affirming your healthy, constructive moments. As you reflect, do not only affirm your disappointments and failures but also your kind and supportive moments.
Finally, we will each face a moment when we focus so intensely on the disappointments or failures that we will teeter on the edge of despair. Stop, pray, and let the Holy Spirit allow you the grace to recognize your struggles were a way of bringing us to an even better place. Often, as I reflect on my painful moments, I see God’s hand nudging me to a healthier place with more opportunities to live faithfully. When our thoughts lean toward the false impressions of affirming ourselves too much or seeing only the derogatory, we trust God to lead us back to emotional truth so we can live honestly and faithfully. Take the leap and have the courage to reflect faithfully.
