Growing up in all things

Growing up emotionally III

Emotional Growth

Why is it so important?
“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I
couldn't talk to you as I would to mature Christians.
I had to talk as though you belonged to this world
or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I
had to feed you with milk and not with solid food,
because you couldn't handle anything stronger.
And you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled
by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one
another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that
prove you are controlled by your own desires? You
are acting like people who don't belong to the
Lord.”
1 Cor 3:1-3 (NLT)
“As long as you grab for what makes you feel good
or makes you look important, are you really much
different than a babe at the breast, content only
when everything's going your way? “
1 Cor 3:1-3 (The Message)
 Emotional Immaturity
• Generates corrupted intentions
• Spoils your relationships
• Wastes your energies with little causes
• Keeps you from growing as a person
 Emotional Maturity
• Gives you relational rewards
• Helps you to focus on what is really
important
• Allows for people around you to grow
Emotional Maturity

starts with forgiveness

 It starts with forgiveness
• I was forgiven
• I now walk in forgiveness
• I forgive everyone who offends me
“And forgive us our sins, for we
ourselves also forgive everyone
who is indebted to us [who has
offended us or done us wrong].”
Luke 11:4 (Amp)
 Emotional Maturity

is affirmed by experiencing God’s

love for you
"I have loved you, my people, with
an everlasting love. With unfailing
love I have drawn you to myself.”
Jeremiah 31.3 (NLT)
“For [the Spirit which] you have
now received [is] not a spirit of
slavery to put you once more in
bondage to fear, but you have
received the Spirit of adoption [the
Spirit producing sonship] in [the
bliss of] which we cry, Abba
(Father)! Father! “
Rom 8:15 (Amp)
• I was loved by God in Christ’s life, death
and resurrection
• I am constantly and eternally loved by Him
• I was adopted as His child, and I belong
now to a worldwide family that shares the
same values and lives for the same cause.
Emotional Maturity

grows through obedience

“When you obey me, you remain
in my love, just as I obey my
Father and remain in his love.”
John 15:10 (NLT)
Beyond the Basics
“So let us stop going over the basics of
Christianity again and again. Let us go on
instead and become mature in our
understanding. Surely we don't need to start
all over again with the importance of turning
away from evil deeds and placing our faith in
God. You don't need further instruction about
baptisms, the laying on of hands, the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal
judgment.”
Heb 6:1,2 (NLT)
 Natural growth
X
Intentional growth
Intentional emotional growth
means
new emotional rules
 Jesus’ emotional life
• Sorrow
Over Jerusalem’s unbelief; Lazarus death
• Anger
At the Pharisees’ hypocrisy; the traders in the temple
• Anguish
Gethsemane; Cross
• Joy
“You are the Messiah”;
• Warmth & tenderness
towards hurting ones; children
• Compassion
“…They are like sheep without a shepherd”
 Are you primarily:

an emotional giver
or
an emotional taker?