Spiritual and Emotional Wellness

The issue then is how to remove the fig leaves of the false self and allow the true self in Christ to emerge. Transformation can begin in your life as you apply these four principles:


1. Pay Attention To Your Interior in Silence and Solitude. (Biblical meditation.)

· Like Martha in Luke 10 we become distracted, which keep us from listening to our feelings, our desires, our dreams, our likes and dislikes.

· There are Martha(s) in our lives who would like to fix, save, advise and set us straight into becoming the people they would like.

· We need to be alone with God so we can listen.

· Silence and solitude are foundational to emotionally healthy spirituality.

· We observe this from Moses, to David to Jesus and to all great men and women of the faith who have gone before us.



2. Find Trusted Companions.



· You need trusted companions to help you shed the fig leaves of your false self in order to let the true self emerge.

· In the Church Community we are alone together, a community of solitudes.

· Trusted companions could include mentors, spiritual leaders, counsellors or mature friends.

· Pray and ask God to send someone alongside to walk with you in this season of your life.



3. Move Out Of Your Comfort Zone.

· Dying to your false self and allowing your true self to emerge can be scary.

· For example: For some of us giving or receiving a compliment feels wrong. Others have a violent reaction to being in the presence of angry people. For some to enter into conflict feels like death. To some asking for help feels like complete failure. Thinking about disagreeing with a friend can give some sleepless nights. (These are all physical signs of unhealthy emotions.) To address these and begin to do things differently, especially in the beginning, will feel very awkward. Changing the way we have lived for years is nothing short of a revolution.



4.Pray for Courage.

· Be willing to tolerate the discomfort necessary for growth. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to continue.



Being aware of your true self is directly related to your relationship with God In AD 500 Augustine recorded this prayer in his writings, “Grant, Lord , that I may know myself that I may know thee”.

The challenge to remove the fig leaves of the false self in order for the true self to emerge strikes at the very core of emotionally healthy spirituality. It requires nothing less than transformation, which can only occur as the power of the Holy Spirit from biblical meditation is released and applied to emotional brokenness.