Is everything spiritual?
I believe it is. The problem lies when we don't equate everything as being spiritual. When we view trauma or mental health apart from spirituality, saying that one has no influence on the other. If we could only see all the triggers at play…if we could only see the backdrop of this warring world of good versus evil.
How does one become traumatized, if not because of sin itself? Say a crime is committed against an individual, is that sin or is that just human nature? Or let's say it is a traumatic health issue that takes place, or a 'natural' disaster... is the reason for this pain not rooted in the sin of our ancestors of Adam and Eve? Did they not open the door to sin…Close the door on the perfect Garden and open the door to a imperfect and pain filled world where bad things happen to good people? Spirituality.
I will be the first to say that trauma opens the door for more sin to enter. If we fail to shut this door, we open ourselves up to the possibility of perpetuating sin, even if we were the victim of the sin in the first place. It's obviously not fair. But the Enemy doesn't play fair, remember? Take sexual abuse for example. A horrendous crime committed against someone. You would never think that the victim would be vulnerable of related or effectual sin to take place, would you? But that's just it, whether we like it or not, a seed is planted.
Let's say that the victim doesn't become a perpetrator of the same kind (but in many cases, this becomes fact), the victim doesn't choose to perpetuate the crime, however, does now listen to lies, does create a sinful pattern of believing and thinking…is this not sin as well? What's really not fair is when the abuse happens as a child or to a person who has not yet known truth…they don't know that they are molding into a sinful pattern. When does God hold us accountable? When we know truth. When we are in position of leadership. When we are teachers of his Word. Thank you, God, that You walk with us all through the mess of trauma into truth in Your timing and in Your perfect ways. He does it in love and he does it in grace; he also does it through discipline and correction.
Many people…even Christians would say that because we fall short…because we are sinful beings…that we have no choice but to sin. umm….okay….where is the hope in that??!! Where is the freedom of the cross??!! That's absurd. The FREEING TRUTH is that we do have the hope of holiness. We have it at our fingertips…we have ALL of Christ living within us. You don't think he is capable of freeing us of our sinful selves? The truth is, we hide it. We don't give him access to this part of us. (whether consciously or subconsciously) That's when we entrap ourselves. No, its not through our doing that we walk a holy life, that's all God. But don't say that we aren't capable of it. Don't say that we are slaves to sin…because that is heresy. What was the cross for and where is the hope if this were true??
I walked for so long in so many lies. I walked in sin when I chose to believe lies about my identity in Christ--that I was unloveable…or God's identity--that he wasn't faithful to me…or how he desires for me to interact in this world. Most of the time it was unconsciously, that's when truth telling and counsel are so needed. That is when allowing God to search our deceitful hearts is vital…so that the unconscious becomes conscious. This is when we are capable of seeing and changing. The hope remains that his love and the work that he accomplished on the cross frees me, and gives me hope and ability to walk in truth and holiness. It's only possible by opening all of ourselves up to His redeeming and reviving molding hand. When we choose to keep hidden, we are essentially choosing sin, shackles and death.
I've faced some very dark clinical depression and anxiety. So much so that I used to contemplate suicide often. While I think trauma and biology can play a huge part in mental health disorders such as these, I also hold the opinion that spirituality is intertwined. What we, as mental health practitioners call 'situational depression'…is also a spiritual depression. Somewhere along the line we have learned to respond to life in an unhealthy way. This is not how God made us to feel or act or think. Not in a state of constant depression or anxiety. If we claim that we are depressed or anxious people then we claim that as our identity and that is a sin. We perpetuate the problem…we perpetuate sin. Healing and relief come when we reveal our struggles to God, and/or to Christ-centered counsel, and hold fast and unswervingly to the hope that this is not who we are…when we open these parts of ourselves up to the God who is capable of redeeming and restoring every part of us…when we choose to throw off the lies and bring in the truth. (Yes, I believe psychological counseling--preferably with a Christ-follower who knows truth--is often highly beneficial)
Please don't misconstrue what I'm saying...I don't think that this restoration and redemption of our identities is always easy work or immediate. I'm not saying that I'll never have another depressive or anxious thought. I don't agree that once we say a prayer that we are done being saved. Salvation is a lifetime process and so is restoration. Sometimes we see the fruit all at once in some areas…sometimes it comes more gradually. But I don't agree that we are lifeless puppets. We have choices. It is all through God's grace and power…but we have to give him access, we have to remove our grip from the masks that we hold so tightly to our faces and let him have His way. We don't want to be found out, but the truth is, God already sees and knows all of who we are. But He is a respectful God. He never forces himself on us. It's relationship. And it's our choice. How much are we willing to expose of ourselves to this God that longs to be given the entirety of our hearts? Let's allow him to do his great work in our hearts so that our words become congruent with our actions and so that we experience for ourselves and offer for others, true freedom. It is the most painful process and the most liberating all at the same time. God promises never to leave us broken. Let's take him up on that hope. This hope that is at our very fingertips. Hope for the brokenhearted.
I believe it is. The problem lies when we don't equate everything as being spiritual. When we view trauma or mental health apart from spirituality, saying that one has no influence on the other. If we could only see all the triggers at play…if we could only see the backdrop of this warring world of good versus evil.
How does one become traumatized, if not because of sin itself? Say a crime is committed against an individual, is that sin or is that just human nature? Or let's say it is a traumatic health issue that takes place, or a 'natural' disaster... is the reason for this pain not rooted in the sin of our ancestors of Adam and Eve? Did they not open the door to sin…Close the door on the perfect Garden and open the door to a imperfect and pain filled world where bad things happen to good people? Spirituality.
I will be the first to say that trauma opens the door for more sin to enter. If we fail to shut this door, we open ourselves up to the possibility of perpetuating sin, even if we were the victim of the sin in the first place. It's obviously not fair. But the Enemy doesn't play fair, remember? Take sexual abuse for example. A horrendous crime committed against someone. You would never think that the victim would be vulnerable of related or effectual sin to take place, would you? But that's just it, whether we like it or not, a seed is planted.
Let's say that the victim doesn't become a perpetrator of the same kind (but in many cases, this becomes fact), the victim doesn't choose to perpetuate the crime, however, does now listen to lies, does create a sinful pattern of believing and thinking…is this not sin as well? What's really not fair is when the abuse happens as a child or to a person who has not yet known truth…they don't know that they are molding into a sinful pattern. When does God hold us accountable? When we know truth. When we are in position of leadership. When we are teachers of his Word. Thank you, God, that You walk with us all through the mess of trauma into truth in Your timing and in Your perfect ways. He does it in love and he does it in grace; he also does it through discipline and correction.
Many people…even Christians would say that because we fall short…because we are sinful beings…that we have no choice but to sin. umm….okay….where is the hope in that??!! Where is the freedom of the cross??!! That's absurd. The FREEING TRUTH is that we do have the hope of holiness. We have it at our fingertips…we have ALL of Christ living within us. You don't think he is capable of freeing us of our sinful selves? The truth is, we hide it. We don't give him access to this part of us. (whether consciously or subconsciously) That's when we entrap ourselves. No, its not through our doing that we walk a holy life, that's all God. But don't say that we aren't capable of it. Don't say that we are slaves to sin…because that is heresy. What was the cross for and where is the hope if this were true??
I walked for so long in so many lies. I walked in sin when I chose to believe lies about my identity in Christ--that I was unloveable…or God's identity--that he wasn't faithful to me…or how he desires for me to interact in this world. Most of the time it was unconsciously, that's when truth telling and counsel are so needed. That is when allowing God to search our deceitful hearts is vital…so that the unconscious becomes conscious. This is when we are capable of seeing and changing. The hope remains that his love and the work that he accomplished on the cross frees me, and gives me hope and ability to walk in truth and holiness. It's only possible by opening all of ourselves up to His redeeming and reviving molding hand. When we choose to keep hidden, we are essentially choosing sin, shackles and death.
I've faced some very dark clinical depression and anxiety. So much so that I used to contemplate suicide often. While I think trauma and biology can play a huge part in mental health disorders such as these, I also hold the opinion that spirituality is intertwined. What we, as mental health practitioners call 'situational depression'…is also a spiritual depression. Somewhere along the line we have learned to respond to life in an unhealthy way. This is not how God made us to feel or act or think. Not in a state of constant depression or anxiety. If we claim that we are depressed or anxious people then we claim that as our identity and that is a sin. We perpetuate the problem…we perpetuate sin. Healing and relief come when we reveal our struggles to God, and/or to Christ-centered counsel, and hold fast and unswervingly to the hope that this is not who we are…when we open these parts of ourselves up to the God who is capable of redeeming and restoring every part of us…when we choose to throw off the lies and bring in the truth. (Yes, I believe psychological counseling--preferably with a Christ-follower who knows truth--is often highly beneficial)
Please don't misconstrue what I'm saying...I don't think that this restoration and redemption of our identities is always easy work or immediate. I'm not saying that I'll never have another depressive or anxious thought. I don't agree that once we say a prayer that we are done being saved. Salvation is a lifetime process and so is restoration. Sometimes we see the fruit all at once in some areas…sometimes it comes more gradually. But I don't agree that we are lifeless puppets. We have choices. It is all through God's grace and power…but we have to give him access, we have to remove our grip from the masks that we hold so tightly to our faces and let him have His way. We don't want to be found out, but the truth is, God already sees and knows all of who we are. But He is a respectful God. He never forces himself on us. It's relationship. And it's our choice. How much are we willing to expose of ourselves to this God that longs to be given the entirety of our hearts? Let's allow him to do his great work in our hearts so that our words become congruent with our actions and so that we experience for ourselves and offer for others, true freedom. It is the most painful process and the most liberating all at the same time. God promises never to leave us broken. Let's take him up on that hope. This hope that is at our very fingertips. Hope for the brokenhearted.
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