Part Two:
The Pathway to Emotionally Spiritual Health.
Chapter Four:
Know Yourself that You May Know God
Becoming Your Authentic Self. In order to truly know God, you have to know yourself.
Geri Leaving—Again. A story about his wife and vacation.
Feelings and the Beginning of a Revolution. We tend to dismiss and/or bury our feelings in the church.
God Feels. Yet, God feels as is amply documented in the Bible.
You Feel—Even if You Are Unaware of It. Our body sends us clues about our feelings.
Discovering God’s Will and Your Emotions. Allowing yourself to express uncensored emotion to yourself will allow examination and decisions about what to do with them.
The Great Temptation to a False Self. Jesus’ temptation models for us three false selfs that Satan tempts us with.
- I am what I do (performance). Thomas Merton said what whatever you do, avoid success.
- I am what I have (possessions). Our culture measures people by what they have. It is a huge temptation.
- I am what others think (popularity).
The Deeply Entrenched False Self: Inside and Outside the Church. The story of Joe DiMaggio and Sheila Walsh.
Jesus’ True Self.
Differentiation—Living Faithful to Your True Self. Differentiation is the extent to which a person can define their values and goals apart from other’s expectations of them.
Developing Your Authentic Self. In order to be emotionally healthy we have to dismantle the false self and allow our true self to emerge. Four truths about this process.
- Pay attention to your interior in silence and solitude.
- Find trusted companions.
- Move out of your comfort zone.
- Pray for Courage.
God and the Sound Barrier.