Your Emotions Matter Too Who We Are Intellectual
Emotional
Spiritual
Social
Physical
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opular thinking has it that (wo)man is a tripartite being, comprising spirit, soul and body. It’s always seemed easy, therefore, to describe (wo)man as a spirit, with a soul, and who happens to live in a body. It may indeed be a useful illustration of our essence as humans. Knowledge, however, is ever evolving, which partly accounts for why life remains exciting. Reading the hugely successful book authored by Peter Scazerro titled, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, turns out to be a major paradigm shift, as it has for many. Essentially, Pastor Scazerro argues in the book that it’s impossible to be spiritually mature, while remaining emotionally immature. It is not an oversimplistic statement. It is a revelation. Scazerro takes the view that Christian spirituality, “without an integration of emotional health, can be deadly – to yourself, your relationship with God, and the people around you.” This is what Scazerro refers to as “the problem of emotionally unhealthy spirituality.” Be mindful that the servant of God is not pointing to a problem with our spirituality; rather, he is taking issue with the health of our emotions. He should know. By his own admission, a lack of emotional health in the early years of his ministry almost cost him everything – marriage, family, work and his own well-being. The mercy of God, however, saved him. 14
