As we continue in this spiritual health blog series, and exploring how Jesus lived a wholistic, balanced life, we will next explore how He led a balanced emotional life. And if He led His life balanced and wholistic, and we are to strive to model Him and His way of living, then we can use Him as our model as to how to live a balanced emotional life.
What is Emotional Health
I have come to learn that our emotional health goes way beyond just positive and negative emotions, like being happy or depressed. In fact, these and many other emotions can be a byproduct of the deeper role that our emotional health plays like our community and connection with others. We will take a look at what Jesus thought about community, connection, relationships – family, friends, etc. But first, let’s start with the fruits of the Spirit which is the foundation of our emotional health.
Fruits of the Spirit
Let’s take a look at some of the emotions that Jesus demonstrated for us. Galatians 5:22 teaches us about the fruits of the Spirit “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” The Holy Spirit and Jesus are one, along with our Heavenly Father. So, the essence of Jesus is the Holy Spirit, therefore the fruits of the Spirit describe fully Who Jesus is. But if we drill down into the ultimate fruit of fruits, the core essence of Who Jesus is, it is Love. Everything else pivots out of this one core characteristic. In the book of 1 John 4:16 in the Bible it says: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”
But Jesus also demonstrated other emotions as well. Jesus was deeply heart broken when He learned of the brutal beheading of His cousin John the Baptist. He wept tears of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane as He was crying out to His Father knowing what He was getting ready to face – His crucifixion, but He also knew that He was going to be separated from His Father for three agonizing days. He was angry (but without sinning) when He saw the money changers selling their wares in the Temple. Jesus experienced any and every emotion known to man – but without sinning, in the midst of the most challenging of emotions. He understands all that we think and feel when it comes to our emotions.
Need a speaker for 2025? Book Dr. Jackie for your next speaking engagement – go to:
https://jackiemckool.com/schedule-jackie/
Connection
Jesus says a whole lot about connection – in fact His whole life speaks of it. All you have to do is read the gospels, in particular the book of John, and you will see that it overflows with connection and community – with the primary emotion surrounding these connections being love. The very first scripture I learned as a new baby Christian was John 15:5. Jesus was speaking to His disciples in the gospel of John: “I am the vine, you are the branches, if a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing.” But His ultimate connection is with His Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit – they are so connected that they are One. There is no greater connection than this. Also, in John 15 He specifically calls us His Friends. Man, how awesome is that?!
In Jesus’ day, His disciples were His co-workers as well as His students. He taught them, and He put them to work. But in the midst of this kind of connection with them as their teacher and their leader, He loved them deeply. So, community and connection are vital to living a healthy and balanced life.
Jesus is the ultimate example of being relational. In fact, the only way to our Heavenly Father and eternal home is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the light. That’s the deepest connection, and most vital one we will ever have – a personal relationship with Jesus.
Effects From Trauma
Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world. Some of our negative emotions we experience like hate, bitterness, jealousy, resentment, envy and many others, are brought on by our own choices to sin. Other emotions like feelings of abandonment, rejection, and shame – even deep sadness and fear, can be the result of hurts rendered to us by others. Abuse is trauma to the soul. And there are all kinds of abuse – mental, emotional, physical and sexual are major ones. When these emotions and hurts are experienced, it throws us out of wholistic balance, with the root lying in the emotional component of our health. Once again, Jesus experienced all of this to degrees that we can only begin to imagine – far greater than the most abusive situation, and probably like you, I’ve heard some horrific stories of abuse. He took on everything that we have ever experienced, or ever will – He took it all on when He died on the cross – not just for our sins but our sickness, disease, and yes, even our abuses – both rendered and received. He took it all. That’s why His death was so horrific. Nothing will ever be greater than what He has already experienced. And He did all in the name of love for you and for me.
When you experience abuse and trauma, He is right there alongside of you receiving it as well. But Jesus was never thrown out of balance, nor will He ever be by experiencing these things because in spite of it all, He retained His core spiritual and emotional fruit – love. However, the only way we can retain this kind of love is to abide in Him – it’s only through Him that we could possibly love the hand that has abused. It’s never in our own strength that we could ever possibly forgive such trauma. But through Him, all things are possible. It’s the only way to remain healthy and in balance in spite of it all. And the only way to heal and overcome through Him, is to abide in Him.
In Summary
This is just the tip of the iceberg of how Jesus lived a balanced emotional life. He experienced good and bad emotions. He experienced the height of peace and joy through the connection with the Father, to the lowest of emotions rendered by horrific abuse from sinful man. But through it all He had the emotional and spiritual fruit of love at the core of it all, every time. If we want to experience a balanced emotional life like Jesus did, we first need to commit our life to Him, as He is the living Vine, and we can bear much spiritual fruit like He is. But apart from Him we can do nothing. Stay connected to Jesus! If you haven’t committed to doing so, and your life is out of balance, the first step to restoring wholistic health is by surrendering to Him. He is your Healer, He is your protector and He is Love.
Here are the other blogs in this series:
“How Committed Are You to Your Wholistic Health?”
“How Do You Know When You Get There?”
“Are You Ready for 2025?”
“How Disciplined is Your Budget?”
“Are You Burning the Candle at Both Ends?”
Pursue Your Purpose