Managing Your Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing: A Guide for Every Parent

By Caroline Phofi

Dealing with issues of relationships, marriage, parenting,
emotional and spiritual wellbeing

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9780620595483

Book preview

AUTHOR

Introduction

Chapter 1

There are two scriptures I would like to introduce the subject of emotional intelligence (EI/EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SI) with. I would like to bring to our attention that we are able to put the word of God as a foundation into our psychological knowledge. Since the word of God is a foundation of all knowledge, other subjects such as EQ and IQ become easily understood.

Spiritual intelligence requires one to become disciplined and consistent in doing so. Just like Paul said to the Corinthians that;

‘[he] does not run uncertainly (without definite aim)… but [he] disciplines his body roughly and brings it into subjection, lest when he has preached to others; he should become disqualified’

1 Corinthians 9:27

We ought to be disciplined people and put our emotions and every ungodliness or fleshly desire into the subjection of the word. And the only way to do that is through the knowledge of who we are in the word and the purpose God has for us. Knowing the word does not end there, what is required is the practicing thereof. What God said through His servant Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 is that we ought to mix God’s word with faith and practice it, and learn to consult the word of God when emotions seem to be mountainous in life.

Titus 2:11-12 tells us that;

For the grace of God that bring salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and Godly in the present age.

We need the grace of God to overcome any form of ungodliness. The good news is that we have that grace. Grace is the blessing and unmerited favour of God that empowers and trains us to be able to reject all ungodliness and worldly desires. We should deny to be consumed by anger, bitterness, worry and anxiety, which are ungodly and will not add any cubit to your stature (Matthew 6:27).

It definitely shows spiritual immaturity if you allow worry and anxiety to consume you, because you and I are supposed to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). Do not give room to worry as it is a waste of time. Worrying gets in your way of working towards solving the problem.

Anxiety is an unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some misfortune or failure. In spiritual terms, when you are anxious you are constantly declaring bad things to come your way and expecting them. Being anxious is acting without faith. For faith sees and anticipate good things, and hopes good and success.

In psychiatry terms, anxiety is a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders. Anxiety is usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or panic attacks. Compulsive behavior involves being strongly motivated and having an irrational pressure to do something. That is why for example, Philemon 1:14 say this about compulsion;

"… But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but