Emotional Maturity: From Outbursts to Inner Peace

We've all seen it. Maybe even been it. That moment when a grown adult throws a tantrum—maybe not on the floor screaming, but with passive-aggressive silence, snapping in traffic, or exploding over small things.

Mel Robbins nailed it when she said most adults are just 8-year-olds in grownup bodies having emotional outbursts. And while that’s raw and refreshingly honest, the conversation shouldn’t end there.

We need to go deeper.

 Because emotional volatility isn’t just a mental or behavioral issue—it’s a heart issue. And if we truly want transformation, we need more than self-awareness.

We need God’s wisdom.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” That’s a mic drop. The Bible doesn’t excuse our behavior as “normal human reactions.” It challenges us to examine what’s flowing out of us and why.

Here’s the truth: temper tantrums are like dashboard warning lights. They're signals that something is unresolved. Bitterness, anger, pride, jealousy—they all bubble up when we’re not living from a place of wholeness.

The world might say, “It's okay, everyone flips out sometimes.” But God says, “You don’t have to stay stuck in that cycle.”

So what do we do when we find ourselves emotionally reacting like a child?

1. Pause and Pray.
Instead of reacting instantly, take a breath and ask: “God, what’s really going on in me right now?” Invite Him into the emotion.

2. Ask for Healing.
God doesn’t just want behavior modification—He wants heart transformation. Ask Him to reveal what wound or lie is driving the outburst and replace it with His truth.

3. Don’t Justify It. Grow From It.
Yes, we all have our moments. But don’t settle. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put childish things away.”

That’s the invitation. Growth. Maturity. Wholeness.

Emotional self-control isn’t about faking calm or bottling things up. It’s about becoming so filled with God’s presence that peace becomes your first response—not your last resort.

When someone cuts you off, or criticizes your dream, or says something cruel—what flows out of you? If it’s anger or spite, don’t beat yourself up. But don’t ignore it either. Let it lead you to healing.

You don’t need to shrink your life to find peace. You just need to shift your heart.

And if you’ve been reacting like the crowd, throwing adult tantrums in your own way, don’t worry. God’s not mad at you. He’s inviting you into something so much better: real peace. That calm strength that doesn’t get rattled. That joy that’s unshakable. That life that overflows into everything and everyone around you.

So don’t settle for the world’s definition of “normal.” You were created for more.

Choose growth. Choose transformation. Choose peace.