Bringing Order Out of Chaos: Emotional Maturity as an Act of Creation
In the opening pages of Scripture, God steps into a world that is formless, void, and covered by the chaotic waters, symbols of disorder and danger in the ancient Near East. And what does He do?
He speaks into the chaos.
He shapes it.
He orders it.
He blesses it.
Genesis 1 reveals God as the One who brings structure and beauty out of what feels wild and overwhelming. And then God invites humanity to join Him in that ongoing work.
Adam and Eve are placed in a garden, a space of order carved out of the untamed world, and told to “work it and keep it.” This is the first biblical picture of stewardship, cultivation, and development.
But this calling applies not only to the external world. It also speaks powerfully to our inner world: our emotional life, our nervous system, and our relational patterns.
Emotional maturity is central to my work as a Christian life and mindset coach, and you can learn more about my approach here.
We Were Created to Bring Order to Our Emotional Life
It’s easy to think of the creation mandate only in terms of gardening, culture-building, or physical stewardship. But from Scripture to early Christian spirituality to modern psychology, a deeper truth emerges:
Humans are designed to bring order to their emotional and internal world.
Animals live by instinct.
Humans live by communion, wisdom, and choice.
Emotions are powerful and God-given; but they are not meant to rule us. As Jim Wilder often notes, our emotions are real but not always reliable. And as Dallas Willard wrote, spiritual formation requires bringing our feelings into alignment with God’s reality.
This is the heart of Christian emotional maturity, and it echoes the relational framework of the Life Model, which emphasizes joy, secure attachment, and the capacity to return to relational connection even under distress (www.lifemodelworks.org).
Emotional Chaos Isn’t Failure—It’s an Invitation From God
Every human carries internal chaos at times:
fear that rises without permission
sadness that lingers
anger that surprises us
anxiety that feels overwhelming
None of this disqualifies us spiritually. Emotional chaos simply exposes the places where God is inviting us into formation.
In fact, when we practice emotional regulation, quieting ourselves, returning to joy, receiving comfort, and responding instead of reacting, we are reenacting Genesis 1 inside our nervous system.
We are literally participating in God’s creative pattern:
bringing order out of chaos.
This is what it means to image God with our emotional life. And it beautifully aligns with the relational skills model taught by THRIVEtoday, which helps people build emotional capacity, quiet their bodies, and stay relational even in distress (www.thrivetoday.org).
Partnering With God in Emotional Formation
Emotional maturity is not self-help. It’s co-creation with God.
It sounds like this:
“Lord, this fear feels like deep water—shape it with me.”
“This anger is wild—bring it into order.”
“This anxiety is swirling—speak peace into it.”
This is the essence of relational spirituality, the kind Todd Hall describes: spiritual growth rooted in relationship, attachment, and attunement with God:
We regulate with God.
We calm our nervous system with God.
We return to joy with God.
We mature emotionally in connection with God.
It also echoes the principles of the Immanuel Approach, which teaches believers to regulate, heal, and attune emotionally through interactive, felt-connection with Jesus (www.immanuelapproach.com).
This is what interpersonal neurobiology shows: we grow emotionally through attachment, not avoidance. God doesn’t ask us to subdue emotions by suppressing them; we subdue them by shepherding them, naming them, soothing them, and integrating them into the story of God-with-us.
This Is What Makes Us Human
Animals react.
Humans reflect.
Animals survive.
Humans cultivate.
Animals follow instinct.
Humans partner with God to create something new, even in their inner world.
Every time you:
breathe deeply to calm your body
pause instead of reacting
let joy reshape your perspective
speak truth to fear
return to relational presence
—you are living the creation mandate.
You are tending the garden within.
You are imaging the God who brings order out of chaos.
A Final Word on Christian Emotional Maturity
Emotional maturity is not a destination but a practice. Every moment you choose presence over panic, connection over withdrawal, or patience over reactivity, you participate in God’s creative work in you.
You are becoming more whole.
More human.
More like Christ.
You are doing the sacred work of bringing order from chaos,
both in the world
and within your own soul.
If you’d like a practical starting point, download my free Balanced Life Blueprint. It walks you through small, daily practices that help bring order to the emotional chaos within.
If you’re ready to cultivate this kind of emotional maturity in your own life, I walk alongside clients through this journey in my coaching practice. Learn more about my coaching services here.
