Wednesday, September 05, 2007
I Assume...
I am not a big fan of mixing pschology and faith. It is done too much and they become too easily confused. However, This post at CGO by Paul Yanosy, based on a passage from C.S. Lewis' Abolition of Man strikes at one place where the two do meet and that should be examined. He discusses the unconscious assumptions that nearly rule our lives.
First of all, Yanosky discusses the assumptions and says this
Here is the key difference, and I think this is vitally important to being a Christian in the modern age. Too much self-examination is contra to what God would have us do. It is one thing to identify an issue, to name one of your underlying assumptions. So identified you can sacrifice that assumption on the altar, you can seek God's guidance in overcoming it. But spending a lot of time trying to figure out such assumptions, or come to terms with them, or whatever navel-gazing phrase you want to use is looking in the wrong place for the solution.
The key to health, especially emotional health, is not in self-examination, but in self-denial. (I bet there are some psychologists out there ready to start screaming at me now!) Recall the words of Christ at Gethsemane, "Not my will but Thine." Too much self-reflection is placing our own strength in front of His. It is holding onto a problem instead of releasing it to the Healer.
Lean on the Lord!
First of all, Yanosky discusses the assumptions and says this
Where did this come from? Some of it undoubtedly is rooted in experience – I was, until recently, used to living from paycheck to paycheck. But some of it comes from .... I don’t know. It’s based on reasons long-forgotten.This is where we get into trouble mixing psychology and faith. Psychology would spend a lot of time trying to find where the assumptions come from and understanding them. Faith needs merely to discover them, acknowledge them, and if necessary change them. Faith also understands that knowing their source will not necessarily help you change them, but the power of the Holy Spirit can.
Here is the key difference, and I think this is vitally important to being a Christian in the modern age. Too much self-examination is contra to what God would have us do. It is one thing to identify an issue, to name one of your underlying assumptions. So identified you can sacrifice that assumption on the altar, you can seek God's guidance in overcoming it. But spending a lot of time trying to figure out such assumptions, or come to terms with them, or whatever navel-gazing phrase you want to use is looking in the wrong place for the solution.
The key to health, especially emotional health, is not in self-examination, but in self-denial. (I bet there are some psychologists out there ready to start screaming at me now!) Recall the words of Christ at Gethsemane, "Not my will but Thine." Too much self-reflection is placing our own strength in front of His. It is holding onto a problem instead of releasing it to the Healer.
Lean on the Lord!
