Relationships with God and Humans Are Not that Different
Written by Rev. Dr .Scott Paczkowski
“Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. ”
There is a deep connection between our emotional maturity and our faith. Faith is about developing a relationship with God and the community of faith. Individuals with emotional immaturity struggle with relationships with other people but also with God. Psychologist Nick Wignall, in his article “5 Signs of Low Emotional Maturity,” makes the point, “It’s very difficult to have a healthy relationship with someone who doesn’t have a healthy relationship with themselves.”
Emotionally immature people who attempt a relationship with God end up blaming or denying God. In the same way, emotionally immature people blame others; those in a relationship with God blame God every time their life is disrupted in some way. Being unwilling to be vulnerable is hard on a human connection, but it is even more devastating for someone trying to nurture faith. God requires vulnerability so that we can recognize our need for the Divine. Emotionally immature people cannot risk their fragile ego, even for God.
Emotionally immature people are defensive, and that includes defensiveness with God. Rather than accept responsibility for one’s actions, the immature get defensive as a means of deflecting their blame. God does not find this acceptable. We take responsibility for our actions, not tearing ourselves down, but learning from and improving our relationships. Taking responsibility for our actions creates wisdom, and God will bless our taking responsibility with the gift of even more wisdom.
Today, ask God to nurture your emotional maturity. Not only so your relationship with others will improve, but so you can deepen your relationship with God. Seek to be less defensive and more accountable. Be open and vulnerable, so you can appreciate what God can bring to your relationship. Pray for God to invite the Spirit to bring courage to your faith so that you can face yourself with honesty and love. Then, watch your relationship with God and others blossom.
