Preaching Daily - August 8
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- 2022 Aug 08
Today's Devotional Insight...
The Top Eight Signs of an Emotionally Unhealthy Christian
Pete Scazzero
A number of years ago I had to face the fact that I would never grow spiritually beyond my level of health emotionally. I had many unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior that had dug ruts in my soul, and they were wreaking havoc in my personal life and in the church I was leading.
The reality was that my discipleship and spirituality had not touched a number of deep internal wounds and sin patterns. I was stuck at an immature level of spiritual and emotional development. And my way of living the Christian life was not transforming the deep places in my life.
In short order, here are the top eight signs that I was an emotionally unhealthy Christian:
1. Using God to Run from God
I tended to create a great deal of “God-activity” in order to avoid difficult areas in my life God wants to change. I know I’m in trouble when I . . .
· Pray about God doing my will, not about me surrendering to his will
· Demonstrate “Christian behaviors” so significant people think well of me
· Use biblical truth to judge and devalue others
· Make pronouncements like, “The Lord told me I should do this,” when the truth is, “I think the Lord told me to do this”
· Use Scripture to justify my sinful patterns instead of evaluating them under God’s lordship
2. Ignoring Anger, Sadness, and Fear
Like most Christians, I was taught that almost all feelings are unreliable and not to be trusted. It is true that some Christians follow their feelings in an unhealthy, unbiblical way. It is more common, however, to encounter Christians who do not believe they have permission to admit their feelings or express them openly. This applies especially to such “difficult” feelings as fear, sadness, shame, anger, hurt, and pain. And yet, how can we listen to what God is saying and evaluate what is going on inside when we cut ourselves off from our emotions?
(To read the full article, click here.)
Today’s Pastoral Resource...
Preaching
As rewarding as it is to write sermons week after week, sometimes we need a little encouragement and direction. This free guide will give you that motivation you need to write another God-centered sermon that glorifies His name. Get started with this free guide.
