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Functioning as a Christian in the field of applied
psychology, I find myself addressing questions pertaining to the
effectiveness of the Christian faith in real life. Many non-Christians
view faith in Christ as a detriment to psychological health, or at best
innocuous and irrelevant, something like dessert at the end of a meal -
nice, but unnecessary. Christians also question, openly or within
themselves, why their relationship with God doesn't seem to make the
significant difference in their life that they think it should: "If
God is part of my life, why do I get depressed or lose my temper or have
anxiety?" The questions are valid, but I believe there are some
answers that are often overlooked, within and without the Christian
community.
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The Bible frequently addresses our behavior as right or wrong.
While the Bible frequently addresses our behavior as
right or wrong, it does not suggest that behavior change can be
accomplished by willing it. On the contrary, Paul the Apostle struggles
with the futility of his own will power: "I do not understand my own
actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I
hate." (Romans 7:15) "I can will what is right, but I cannot do
it." (Romans 7:18) We cannot do what we want to do, simply because we
set out to do it. Indeed, one of the best evidences of the reality of sin
is the inability to consistently make our intentions reality. Richard
Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, makes his own
observations about changing human behavior.
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Our
ordinary method of dealing with ingrained sin is to
launch a frontal attack. We rely on our willpower and determination.
Whatever the issue for us may be --- anger, bitterness, gluttony, pride,
sexual lust, alcohol, fear --- we determine never to do it again; we pray
against it, fight against it, set our will against it. But it is all in
vain, and we find ourselves once again morally bankrupt or, worse yet ...
proud of our external righteousness . . .
Change does not result from an act of will.
Change does not result from an act of will, but from a
source that encompasses more of our selves: a perspective, mindset, or
attitude. Again according to Paul, "You were taught, with regard to
your former way of life, to put off your old self, ... to be made new in
the attitude of your minds," (Ephesians 4:22-23). Change is more
likely to occur as fruit that grows on a tree properly watered, fed, and
cared for. More specifically, change is the result of what we dwell on;
what we fill our minds with, what we invest our time in.
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Much of life is composed of reflexive responses to
situations.
Our responses are almost automatic, often bypassing thought
processes, convictions, or plans. To a great extent, they have been
programmed by imperfect sources, such as parents, siblings, spouses,
repetitious experiences, or emotionally powerful experiences. Much of what
we do is not a matter of conscious intent. Consequently, if it is our
desire that our behavior be aligned with God, we must "live with
God" as we have lived with the influential people in our life. We
need repetitious and emotionally powerful experiences with God. We cannot
expect God to become a significant influence in our lives if we confine
our experience with him to brief, structured periods of time. We must
bring God into the chaotic and messy parts of our lives as well as the
comfortable and well-ordered parts.
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Our behavior expresses our values and beliefs.
We may
do what we do in part because of the influence of other people and
experiences, but we are also motivated by what is important to us. If I
act in a dominating manner, it may be fueled by my desire to control
others. Behavior change requires honest self-evaluation regarding what is
truly important to us. What do I spend most of my time doing? What is my
mind focused on? What causes my most intense emotions? If behavior change
is to be genuine, we must be willing to examine ourselves honestly, rather
than simply act the part of a Christian. This is not always encouraged in
Christian circles. Clark Barshinger addresses the issue in an article
entitled "Congruent Spirituality":
The
image of the middle-class church full of
smiling-fixated Christians has disillusioned more than one person
earnestly seeking God. They are told to be happy as a witness to God
rather than offered a place to truly be themselves. Rather than finding
themselves in an honest encounter with God, they lose themselves in the
attempt to become the 'successful' persona the Church wants.
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We often want our behavior to change, but want it to be
changed for us by an outside agent.
God seems to be the ultimate, most
powerful, agent of change. We want God to temper our anger, relieve our
anxiety. Perhaps the key factor here is that we want God to do it for our
benefit. God's purpose in reaching us through Christ is that we are
valuable to him, and have a purpose in his grand scheme. While God
certainly has the ability to act supernaturally, it is evident that this
is not his characteristic mode of functioning. The process of change may
be more important to God than the result, which is often all that we are
interested in. We want the finished product.
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Some Christians rely on enthusiasm as the fuel to bring
about change.
Emotions are a valuable gift, giving our lives color. But we
can be enthusiastic about anything: politics, sports, or music. It is not
the essence of faith and does not sustain behavior change.
Genuine faith is the result of our recognition that God
is our creator.
Genuine faith is the result of our recognition that God
is our creator, and that without him we are unable to do what we are
created to do. Genuine faith causes a desire to reach out to God, to be
with him, and to fill our minds and experience with him. Out of our
experience with God, whether through prayer, scripture, meditation,
worship, or the natural creation, our values, intentions, and ultimately
our behavior, changes. In the academic community, this is considered intrinsic
Christianity, as opposed to extrinsic Christianity, which focuses
on correct behavior without regard for the internal sources that must
motivate lasting change. Jesus put it best himself:
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I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains
in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do
nothing. (John 15:5)
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