Christian Counseling - Eccentrics: Society's Torchbearers

Who is more apt to lead others, be it one or 10,000? The conventional, tame, predictable and easily understood person or the neurotic and eccentric person? Generally speaking, a torchbearer is one who is able to think out-of-the-box, who is unconventional and deviates from the norm and what is expected, but does not allow their personal conflicts or temptations to rule them. Such was the person of Jesus (not including neurotic). He continues to surprise us today in the words and deeds of the Bible when we diligently search them out and when we see them and Him come to life in the 21st century. This type of person is attractive and exciting, as well as scary because he or she does not hesitate to speak the truth, which ushers us into discomfort by destabilizing our views of ourselves and the world.

True human torchbearers are those who live close to madness, not very concerned about what others think about them and driven by an internal force that juxtaposes their own internal conflicts with the indwelling and directive Spirit of God, both of which serve to energize and liberate. These are the people who have a firm handle on courage, develop a medium for self-expression, transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, present truths afresh (i.e., creatively presenting Christ in a new way to each generation), speak a universal language of the heart, reveal unseen possibilities, and are givers of life.

Each of us has the potential to be a torchbearer to those in our corner of the world. This is, I believe, God's intention, that we live extraordinarily, walk with courage, learn to risk, unashamedly exercise our right to freedom of speech, and be boldly uncommon and even eccentric. Until we live this way, we have not yet fully become like Jesus.

Christian Counseling - The Zeitgeist of the 2010s

Zeitgeist is the mood or spirit of a particular time in history understood by the ideas and beliefs of the times. How would you define this spirit in America today? Uncertain, angry, confused, fearful, anxious, or something else?

It appears there is a trend toward all of these, but the overarching and growing zeitgeist might be labeled anxiety or, at least, niggle. Those who thoughtfully follow U.S. and world news are likely to experience some increase in worry over the significant and redefining events in the Mideast, Japan's nuclear disaster, some truth in climate change, high unemployment, deflating housing market, the falling value of the dollar, the rise in commodity prices such as gasoline, the increase in inflation with the threat of hyperinflation, out-of-control government spending, S&P's lowering U.S. ratings outlook to negative, etc.

Most Christians have likely wondered if these are signs of the decline of America and, therefore, the end time. That is very possible. The outcome of these things could easily and quickly have a monumental impact, as to change the face of the world we know. However, for some Christians their initial discomfort at the thought of these problems is remedied by not thinking about them or by believing all is okay because God is in control and Jesus will return and save them from these devastating hardships. If they truly believe the latter two points, then it should be evident in their behavior--not concerned about saving money, not bought any metals (gold, silver), have no food reserves, not preparing for inflation and going about life as usual. They may believe that anything short of detaching from these issues and exercising faith in God to protect them is spiritual weakness or faithlessness.

But I ask them, "Why not exercise discernment, search for wisdom that can add years to life and use the mind that God created? Are we free from all self-protection? Where in scripture do we find that we are to be do nothing people? Is not faith without works dead?" These protective actions do not exclude faith, but accompany it. Faith is not supposed to be blind and not to be used to avoid personal responsibility. We cease to act when we are beyond our means to do anything else. Faith helps carry us when we act and when we can do no more.

Faith with action can aid us in modifying today's zeitgeist of growing anxiety.

Christian Counseling: The Thrill Of Contentment And The Agony Of Want

One aspect of maturity is leaving wants behind and cleaving to contentment. Not that this is perfect, for we will always want (and need) food, shelter, etc.--necessities for our survival. Because of that there will always be at least some discontentment, some of the time. On the other hand, excessive wanting can be pure agony when people desires things that are not theirs, be it a relationship, a better standard of living, power, freedom, love, security, and the like. Some wants are good, but no want is healthy when its power overtakes a person who ends up controlled, enslaved and significantly altered in attitude and behavior. In fact, unbridled want or desire is the reason for most human quarrels and conflicts (James 4:1,2). This kind of wanting produces anxiety--"How, when and will I get. . .?"

When we are deprived of what we want it can grow in intensity and become an obsession, if we don't have a healthy way to deal with it. In WWII (as in other wars I am confident), prisoners who lacked provisions of food, safety and shelter fantasized about satiating these wants and needs that forever changed their lives upon their release. Some became a prisoner a second time to their appetites.

What is the alternative? The answer is found in the well known words of wisdom in Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." It is a process, years in the making, to accept contentment as a way of life, which leads to quieting our desires, wants and drivenness to acquire things we don't have or don't have enough of.

In the Greek, contentment means sufficient or enough. The mental focus is on what one has and not  what is missing. It is being satisfied with self, life and one's accomplishment, even though most believe they could have been better, done more and acquired more. This is not meant to give anyone license to avoid responsibility, cease from good works or stop growing in Christlikeness, but to be content along the way. It means we learn to diminish the strength of wanting and refuse to be under its control.

Literally, it is calming, a bit of heaven and even thrilling to be content with life, as it is. It is the greatest of all freedoms for the living because, unlike other freedoms, it cannot be taken away. In the end, let your wants be transformed in wanting things like: justice, bringing heaven to earth and developing the fruit of the Spirit, while remembering to marry want with contentment.

Christian Counseling: Endurance: An Asset Or Liability Of Character?

A competitor who completes, let alone wins, an ironman triathlon is a marvelous example of human endurance. Scripturally, we have the perfect example of endurance in Jesus who gave up His power and position to enter our world in human form and take the rejection, humiliation, torture and extremely painful death without calling on the Father or the angels to save Him.

There are circumstances in which we have no choice but to endure and others in which we choose to do so. The desire to avoid pain and be more than a survivor seems inherent, but we can override that most powerful desire in favor of a greater cause or reason, just as Jesus did. We are called to be suffering servants like Him. So it can get confusing when we have to discern between endurance that is righteous or useless and a characteristic to develop or a liability to avoid. 

Those who play the martyr role receive esteem from others or oneself for their visible suffering. This also has the advantage of reducing other's criticisms and falsely diminishing or ending feelings of guilt. Their endurance of suffering is ostensibly righteous, but has no value beyond temporary self-gain.

For centuries, Christian women have been told to unconditionally submit to their husbands and those in authority. They endured numerous hardships and even emotional and physical abuse from their husbands because they were told that absolute submission was the woman's righteous response that would please God and bring her husband into obedience to the Word (1 Peter 3:1,2). This belief continued to be taught to most women seeking counseling from their pastors in the 1980's and still ocassionally exists today. An equivalent belief would be, if we just loved Muslim extremists they would end jihad against American infidels and become our brothers and sisters. These and others situations demand an action other than endurance, for there are those who will not be moved by love, kindness, submissiveness, or God Himself (Romans 1:28-32), but will take advantage of what they perceive as weakness, fear or ignorance.

Endurance is a liability and must end when goodness has no effect and evil rules the heart of an individual. In these circumstances, submission and endurance is understood as enabling the tyrrany of others.

What are you enduring? Why? Are you able to determine if your endurance is an assest or liability of character? What other response might God approve of?