Maintaining control over our emotions in the midst of a situation is another component of emotional maturity. Being emotionally mature does not mean shutting down our feelings, but instead refusing to allow our emotions to dictate our response. Emotionally immature people fly off the handle when they get upset; by comparison, the ability to remain calm even when we are angry allows us to be rational and decide how best to respond to an issue. Anger, just like any other negative emotion, is fear-based; remaining calm helps us fight off the emotions that threaten to take us to a place we don’t need to be. Believers who study God’s Word in this area develop the spiritual fruit of calmness, distinguishing us from the rest of the world. A spirit of ease from God keeps our spirits quiet; God wants us to stay in that place. When the enemy tries to scare us with the distractions of what’s going on around us, staying calm helps us hear God more clearly on our journey through life.
Understanding Grace | Empowering Change