Emotions wield significant power over our lives. They can inspire, drive, and create joy or passion, but they can also lead to stress, paralysis, and pain. Mismanagement of emotions—either through repression or overexpression—can have detrimental effects. When we fail to handle our emotions in a healthy, Biblical manner, we risk becoming emotionally immature. Emotional maturity is crucial for our overall well-being and our ability to fulfill our calling in Christ.

So, why is it important to confront our feelings with faith?

Life is full of hardship, sorrow, and pain. Some people drown in despair because of that while others try to alleviate the situation by escaping or denying the situation. The former leads to a loss of hope while the latter leads to an unhealthy attachment to pleasure. Is there another solution? Yes, it's called the discipline of celebration.

The discipline of celebration is one of the key disciplines of engagement (i.e., disciplines that we do with other people) that we can learn to practice in the midst of all the sorrow and pain in the world. It is the intentional enjoyment of our life with God by faith together with others. It must be balanced with other spiritual disciplines, especially disciplines of abstinence. Let us learn how we can practice this discipline in our lives.

Processing our emotions can often feel overwhelming and frustrating. It requires effort, time, and courage to explore the depths of our inner selves. This journey is marked by ups and downs, but with God’s grace, we can evaluate our progress by looking at the life of Jesus, who exemplified what it means to be fully human while experiencing a wide range of emotions in various situations. What does it mean to be an emotionally mature disciple? Drawing from the example of Jesus, the first disciple, we can identify four key characteristics that reflect emotional maturity.