Emotional Intelligence: The ABCs of Emotions
Part 13: A Dozen Emotional Intelligence Lesson Plans
Introduction: You’re reading Part 13 in a blog mini-series on Emotional Intelligence. Read Part 1: Emotions: God’s Idea, Part 2: Why We Feel What We Feel, Part 3: Good News about Good Moods, Part 4: What Went Wrong?, Part 5: Our Emotions and Our Bodies, Part 6: How’s Your EI?, Part 7: How to Help Others, Part 8: Emotions Gone Mad, Part 9: What’s Wrong with Stuffing?, part 10: Holding Onto Hope, and Part 11: Learning the ABCs of Emotional Maturity, and Part 12: Five Tools for Your Emotional Toolbox. I’ve developed this series from material in my book Soul Physicians.
Reviewing God’s Lesson Plans for Emotional Intelligence—The “What?” Question
What are the key emotional lessons we’ve learned in the ABCs of emotional intelligence? In keeping with our “ABC” theme, I’ll review the “big idea” of each of our twelve posts using the first twelve letters of the alphabet. 
A: Accept that emotions were/are God’s idea—they are God-given. (Emotions: God’s Idea)
B: Biblically break down our emotions before we have an emotional breakdown—learn the biblical formula for why we feel what we feel. (Why We Feel What We Feel)
C: Creation shows us the good news about good moods. (Good News about Good Moods)
D: Disordered moods result from disconnection from Christ, while reordered moods result from soothing our soul in our Savior. (Emotions: What Went Wrong?)
E: Embrace the fact that our brains are a fallen organ in a fallen body in a fallen world—and embrace God’s all-sufficient strength. (Our Bodies and Our Emotions)
F: Figure your EQ/EI: emotional quotient/emotional intelligence. (How’s Your Emotional Intelligence?)
G: Give the gift of emotional growth by being a spiritual friend who helps others to grow emotionally. (How to Help Others)
H: Hurting others with out-of-control spearing of our emotions. (Emotions Gone Bad and Mad)
I: Injuring ourselves and others by over-controlled repression (stuffing) of our feelings. (What’s Wrong with Stuffing Our Feelings?)
J: Jesus is our only hope for…holding onto hope when life tries to crush us. (Holding Onto Hope)
K: Kindergarten lessons in emotional maturity—all we ever needed to know about emotional maturity we can learn from Christ. (Learning the ABCs of Emotional Maturity)
L: Learning five hallmarks of emotional maturity. (Five Tools for Your Emotional Toolbox)
Renewing Our Emotional Maturity in Christ—The “So What?” Question
We review and we renew. We not only ask “What?” but also “So what?” So what difference could this blog mini-series make in your emotional maturity process?
A: How does it change your thoughts about your feelings when you realize that emotions were God’s idea?
B: Ponder a current situation you are facing. Use our “formula” to assess the situation and your emotional response. Our External Situation plus our Internal Perception leads to our Emotional Response.
C: How could you use the good news about good moods to enjoy and benefit from your emotions and moods, rather than fearing and fleeing them?
D: How can you sooth your soul in your Savior in order to manage your moods in a healthy and whole way?
E: How can you embrace your emotional and physical weakness in order to embrace Christ’s resurrection power?
F: What biblical principles could you follow to enhance your emotional intelligence?
G: What principle of emotional mentoring do you want to offer others?
H: If you’ve used your emotions as a spear to harm others, what is God’s Word calling you to do?
I: How surprised are you that repressing, suppressing, and stuffing our feelings is just as harmful and sinful as using our feelings as spears?
J: How can you find hope when you’re hurting by finding God’s healing for life’s losses?
K: How can you learn from Christ in the school of emotions?
L: Of the five tools in your emotional toolbox, which one do you most want to sharpen?
The Rest of the Story
You thought we were done, didn’t you? Almost, but not quite. Our final post is my gift to you. Come back to find the link to this entire series in one PDF document that you can download for free from RPM Ministries.
Join the Conversation
Of the dozen posts in this series, which post most impacted your life and ministry? Why? How?
