Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

One of the books that I have particularly enjoyed has been The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero. In the opening pages, Scazzero shares the story of his broken life, ministry, and marriage. It immediately resonated with many facets of my own story of self-effort and making Jesus an accessory to my story rather than fully accepting the invitation to become part of His story.

The premise of this book is that emotional health and spiritual health are intertwined, which is something that modern western discipleship has failed to take into account. For that reason, it is rare for a follower of Christ to shine light on what is happening emotionally. Leading to followers who are hiding themselves from God, going through the motions of what they 'should' do and how a follower 'should' look, and eventually burning out or missing the point entirely.

As Scazzero points out, discipleship is not a one time event, but a process; one that involves transformation of the inner self in order to change the outward. Reading this book validated one of the tenants I have developed within Choosing to Trust - how can we properly deny ourselves if we do not know what it is we are denying?

Scazzero's writing style is clean and easy to understand. This book is a perfect intro read for those who desire a different perspective from the consumer and results driven Christianity that we find ourselves immersed in. If you want a rating, this book is one of my Top Shelf books, which would equate to 5 out of 5 stars.

On a related note, coming in May, Peter Scazzero and his wife will be leading a conference for church leaders on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. If you have the means and are looking for something that would definitely add value to your church or community, this would be an excellent option. Follow the link for more details.