Acceptance

This book, Effective Biblical Counseling, for my Biblical Psychology class is very interesting. Seeing things from a different viewpoint was something I prided myself in through high school (seeing problems and "answers" to problems that others didn't quite seem to grasp, in my limited thinking, anyway), led me to apply at UMBC under a Psychology major. That summer before starting school, however, I found a great passion in computer workings, which I had been involved with all my life anyways.

Pastor Schaller was, in fact, just mentioning this morning about the new heart vs. old heart. How with the new heart we have a helicopter view of the situation.
As in Jeremiah 17:8 - For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Joseph didn't see heat when it came in Egypt, he was above the situation. He had a bird's eye view of all the comings and goings, positioned by the Spirit in that capacity. But even when the heat did appear, he was steadfast, blessed, and solid in his trust of the Lord. And even when drought and famine overtakes his life, man who trusts in Him is unfazed, because he is fed by a different source, the rivers of living water, never thirsting.

This perspective comes with the new heart, living in Christ. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

But back to the point of the post.

The true goal of counseling is NOT to be happy. The true goal of counseling is free people to better worship and serve God. As I glorify God, I will be filled with not happiness (hap- is based on circumstance [think of happenstance, happen]), but filled with joy, which is from within, and not from without, and not based on circumstance. Hence not being careful in the year of draught, and not ceasing from yielding fruit, even when heat comes (oppressive situations, difficult circumstances). Why?? Because our new heart is filled with joy from the Lord, we have a trust in him.

The most important thing in spiritual growth and maturity, which Biblical Counseling helps to achieve, the main barrier breaker, defense destroyer, is acceptance. Counseling is so much more than detecting sinful patterns of behavior and bringing the hammer of excision, conformity down (which secular counseling can stop at this point as well).

"As I look into my own life, the fundamental dynamic behind whatever spiritual growth has occurred has been a profound sense of God's unconditional love and acceptance, made possible through Christ's atoning work on the cross. When I experience the inexpressible thrill of acceptance, I am motivated to love God in worship and service."

Thinking of the abused child, withdrawn into his soul, defenses greater than the Great Wall, and no barbarians (you and anyone else) can ever get through to hurt him anymore. What can get through to him? What can reach through and tear down those walls? How can he let his defenses down when all he's known is pain and betrayal?

Love, God's Love for him. Accepting him just as he is, as Christ has accepted us, and we have accepted him. Secular counseling can leave out that infinitely important aspect. Acceptance. It's not just in informational session, laying on a couch talking about problems. Healing comes from Love, a deep genuine concern for the individual must be communicated if real character growth is to occur.

Just imagine the child, what does he need more than anything? Secular psychiatry may prescribe him drugs and behavior modification to open him up, which can be very necessary, don't misunderstand me. But he needs more than that, he needs to be spoken to his heart. Which as my previous diagram displayed, is the center of our being. He needs you to love him, as he is, not as a patient but as a hurting soul desperate for acceptance.

Praise you Lord for your love towards us, that we may pour out unto others.

Love always.

Spirit - Heart - Soul

From my Biblical Psychology class last night, I made this diagram based on an illustration Pastor Schaller was giving.

He was speaking about how our soul remains with us and does not change when we are saved or return to him through repentance. Or when thinking in our old nature, returning us to a spiritually dead state. But through repentance, we are made alive.

Endlessly playing around with this diagram last night (I can get pretty consumed on minute details such as these), I added the verses listed at the bottom. Pastor Schaller described that although our pitcher (of water) may be filled with dark water (dead spirit, old heart), or light water (renewed spirit, and a new heart). Regardless of the filling, the container is the same.

Thinking about the light water, and how the Holy Spirit, communicating to our revived human spirit has caused our souls to be filled with light. When our spirit died in the garden, our souls were communicated to with death, darkness. Our hearts became hard and stony without the initiations of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

With a new heart and a new spirit, life pours out into our soul. Our psychological "organ" structure looks like this:

When sin entered into us, our human spirit died. And the Lord can have no fellowship with iniquity. With the spirit dead, and the heart receiving no light, no life, from the fellowship of our (now dead) human spirit, with the Holy Spirit, our heart becomes hard, and stony. An evil heart of unbelief.

This is the state of the unbeliever, without joy and life being imparted by the Holy Spirit. But also this condition characterizes believers who fall into sin, and do not get back up (repent). The just man will get back up when he falls, the fool will stay stumbled. You must get back up, turn to the Lord, and receive the filling of the Spirit. It's that simple!!

Turning stony hearts into hearts of flesh, tender towards the Lord. Secular psychology will rarely mention the heart, and certainly will not mention the work of the spirit in our psychology. This is understandable as admission of such things would take away from the humanism inherent to all contemporary psychological approaches, as I've been reading.

However, this is the biggest shortcoming, without a purpose... without a healer, how can I get better? If I will myself to get better it will happen? How can a broken computer fix itself? God made us, and he is the one who can fix us when we break ourselves. He knows what I need to become whole again. It's Him! It's the Lord! He renews my spirit, filling my heart, imparting life to my soul, causing me to go forward in my body.

Christian Psychology is not about becoming happy, as is the goal with the secular discipline. It is about knowing the Lord, finding His will, and his purposes. Over the past 2 years, this has been such an illumination, that I still struggle with getting a handle on, because it's so unlike my natural makeup. I don't have to focus on my problems to fix them, I don't have to perform business analysis on my soul to correct my struggles, I sacrifice myself on the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and He is faithful and just to heal me and make me not even aware of my past struggles.

How strange it is!! I am a master problem solver, but I can't even begin to touch the problems of my soul. The second I do, I die. The second I take control over my life out of my hands, I fall. Not the easiest thing to relinquish into his capable hands. The thought is through self-analysis, control, fighting, I CAN OVERCOME. Oh dear child no....Without him, I can do nothing.

It's such a releasing beauty, putting your trust into our Lord savior. Our king of kings, Lord of Lords, the first and the last. He is the eternal one, the beginning and the end of all things. Any struggles I have overcome has not been through careful examination, methodical approach, special techniques, 12-step programs, but by Him. Him alone. He is the only one who can bear my burdens, for I am crushed beneath them, if I bear them myself.

This is why the Lord is real, this doesn't make any sense if there wasn't a redeemer, a healer living within me. How could NOT focusing on my deep soul scarred issues free me??? He is the answer, He is the One.

He is our God.