Teaching Summary: Naming and Navigating Our Emotions

Are we growing in Christian maturity?

We want to be people who are maturing in Christ—people who stop blaming everyone else for our disappointment and instead surrender to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4 says God’s goal is that we “attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” That’s what we’re after.

A mature follower of Jesus is fully connected to God and fully present to people.

And no human being has ever lived more connected to God and more present to people than Jesus.

And like Jesus, mature Christians name and navigate their emotions honestly.

It might sound like a small thing, but it’s not. It matters because you’ve been entrusted with the good news of Jesus—the hope of the world. It matters because you’ve been called to make the love of God visible—in the way you live, speak, and treat people this week. And the truth is, if we’re disconnected from God or unable to show up for others in a calm, grounded, non-anxious way, then the people around us may never experience the good news we claim to believe.

Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

In Numbers 20:1–12, Moses faces one of the greatest leadership moments of his life—and blows it.

After 39 years of leading God’s people through the wilderness, they’re almost home. But when the people discover there’s no water, they form an opposition party and start blaming Moses: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? There’s no grain or figs, no pomegranates—and no water to drink!”

At first, Moses does something really good. He falls facedown before the Lord. God’s glory appears, and the Lord gives him clear instructions: “Take your staff, gather the people, and speak to the rock. It will pour out its water.”

But when Moses returns to the people, he looks into their angry faces—and something inside him snaps. He shouts, “Listen, you rebels!” and then strikes the rock twice with his staff instead of speaking to it.

Water still gushes out. The people and their livestock drink. On the surface, everything seems fine. But it wasn’t fine.

God tells Moses, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Moses got the result he wanted, but at a great personal cost.

Moses was deeply connected to God—Scripture says he spoke with God face-to-face. He had witnessed miracles, parted seas, and led a nation. But his spiritual maturity didn’t make up for his emotional immaturity.

A thread of unprocessed anger ran through his life. In Exodus 2, he killed an Egyptian in rage. In Numbers 11, he grew so angry he begged God to take his life. And in Numbers 20, his anger finally cost him the Promised Land.

This story reminds us that emotions we refuse to face don’t disappear—they resurface until they undo us.

There’s a simple pattern that plays out in all of us: think, feel, act.

Before Moses struck the rock, something was already happening inside him. His sister Miriam had just died. He was tired. Frustrated. Grieving. Exhausted. His thoughts—these people will never change, I can’t do this anymore—led to feelings of anger and despair, which led to reactive behavior.

The work of maturity is learning to slow that sequence down long enough to let God in.

Our emotions can do one of two things: instigate us to react or invite us to grow. Emotional immaturity gives in to the first feeling that rises up. Emotional maturity pauses—takes a breath—and brings that feeling honestly before God.

Our emotions aren’t our enemies; they’re gifts. They’re signals from our soul inviting us to slow down, pay attention, and respond in ways that align with Jesus.

Here’s a simple process for naming and navigating emotions in real time:

First, name the emotion. What am I feeling right now? Don’t generalize; be specific. Anger? Fear? Sadness? Naming brings emotions into the light where God can meet you.

Second, notice the meaning. What story am I telling myself that’s fueling this feeling?

Third, feel it in God’s presence. Don’t suppress it or explode. Sit with it before God. Pray honestly: Lord, I’m angry. Lord, I’m afraid. Lord, I feel unseen.

Fourth, discern the invitation. What might God be saying to me through this feeling? Anger might invite you to set a boundary. Sadness might invite you to grieve. Fear might invite you to trust. Every emotion holds a spiritual invitation if we’re willing to listen.

Finally, choose a response. After naming and discerning, respond in ways that reflect Jesus—patience instead of reactivity, courage instead of withdrawal, love instead of bitterness.

And when emotions rise up in real time, remember two things. You can ask for space: “I want to give this conversation my best—can we talk later?” And you can buy time by getting curious. Curiosity is one of the holiest pauses you can take. Ask, “Can you say more about that?” or “What might I be missing here?”

You can even whisper a quiet prayer: Lord, I’m feeling defensive right now. Help me respond in your way, not mine.

You can get the outcome you want by reacting out of your emotions. But at what cost?

When we lead or love from unprocessed emotion, it costs us trust. It costs us closeness. It blinds us to what God is inviting us into.

Moses reminds us that emotions we ignore will eventually undo us. But Jesus shows us a better way. He felt anger, grief, and compassion. But instead of reacting, he brought every emotion to the Father and let love lead the way.

Your emotions aren’t your enemy—they’re an invitation. An invitation to grow. To become more like Jesus. To live and lead from a grounded, non-anxious presence.

Because the world doesn’t need more reactive Christians. It needs calm, courageous, emotionally mature ambassadors of Jesus.