PRINCIPLE 7 |
Even though all of our inner functions (intellectual, emotional, and volitional) are affected by the fall, sin seems to be especially hard at work in the area of the emotions. Scripture draws attention to this area when describing the sin nature. Paul speaks of "the sinful nature with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24). And John speaks of "the cravings of sinful man" (1 John 2:16). After all, it is not sin to know about evil. God knows more about evil than anyone else. But it is sin to desire evil. Of course, it is also sin to decide, and to do, evil. But sin seems to begin to brew in the emotions. Since an individual's emotions stimulate his will, the control of one's emotions will go a long way toward controlling one's decisions and actions. If we want to do what is right, we will find it much easier to do what is right.
Obviously, the work of the Holy Spirit is needed if we are ever going to desire good rather then evil. Our sinful nature is bent on evil, and only with divine help will we ever be able to overcome sinful desire. However, does the mere presence of the Holy Spirit automatically make all of our desires good? When we are saved and have the Holy Spirit living within us, are all of our motives pure forevermore? Certainly not, according to James:
Fights and quarrels ... come from your desires. ... You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. ... You ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:1-3, italics added).
The Holy Spirit does not control our emotions for us. Instead, he gives us the power to do so.
This is one of the ways the Holy Spirit preserves our freedom. He does not captivate or manipulate our emotions, just as he does not captivate or manipulate our intellect or our will. In short, he does not think, desire, or decide for us. He gives us the power to think, desire, and decide as he would if he were in absolute control, but leaves the thinking, desiring, and deciding up to us.
Some people equate the filling of the Holy Spirit with the control of the Holy Spirit. While it is true that we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), his "control" of us does not mean that he takes away from us the responsibility of exercising self control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, he works in us, enabling us to obey him. We are active, not passive. We are following the Holy Spirit's influence in our lives, but are not so controlled by him that we become robots.
But if the Holy Spirit does not control our desires for us, how exactly do we control our own desires? Before we can control any particular desire we must first recognize and evaluate that desire. The acts of recognition and evaluation are intellectual functions. Thus, the control of the emotions begins in the intellect. Before a person can desire what is right, he must know what is right. Before a person can evaluate a sinful desire as sinful, he must know what is sin. If his beliefs are not correct, his evaluations will also be faulty. Thus, having a set of correct beliefs – that is, knowing what is truly right and wrong – is absolutely necessary for the control of sinful desires. (This is one of the reasons that instruction is logically the most basic element in the life of the local church.)
Many people believe the right things, but their beliefs have little impact on their lives. They know the difference between right and wrong, but they don't really care. The knowledge of right and wrong is a prerequisite to the control of sinful desires, but knowledge alone, without a system of values, is rather powerless.
Beliefs are what we hold to be true. Values are what we hold to be important. When we rank our values into a system, then we have determined what we hold to be most important, next most important, etc. When we have consciously determined our value system, we have something which can be as powerful in creating conscious motivation as the subconscious needs and desires are in creating subconscious motivation. For example, it is one thing to believe that honesty is right and lying is wrong. It is quite a different thing to also value honesty as one of the most important virtues. A person who values honesty will be much more likely to live honestly than the person who values other things, such as popularity or possessions, more than he values honesty.
A person's values are deep seated and not easily changed. Yet, if there is going to be any lasting improvement in a person's pattern of life, his values must change. One of the least effective ways to try to alter someone's value system is to give him a lecture about what should be important to him. But there are other means which are more effective to bring about value changes. Some of these other means are discussed in later chapters.
Some of the ideas discussed in this chapter and the previous chapter are included in the diagram below. This diagram is, admittedly, another oversimplification. It is meant to show some of the key features of the individual's inner dynamics and how they relate to each other and lead to his behavior. As a general rule, organismic needs tend to be subconscious, while one's beliefs and values tend to be conscious. But, of course, one's organismic needs do often become conscious, and one's value system can be made up of a number of "blind spots."
Some Christian workers focus their efforts on only two places in the above diagram – actions and beliefs. They like to see people act a certain way and believe certain things. Unfortunately, those who limit their ministries to these two areas often feel that holding the correct beliefs should automatically lead to the proper actions. But as you can see from the diagram, there is a great deal more going on within the individual that determines his behavior than just his beliefs. While it is true that beliefs form a foundation for values, and values in turn form a foundation for conscious motivation, the proper beliefs alone never guarantee the proper actions. A realistic ministry will take all of the internal dynamics into account.
A person's beliefs include what he believes about himself and his abilities and shortcomings. This is called his self concept or self image. A person's value system includes his ranking of his own worth in comparison with the worth of other people. This is called his self esteem or self worth. Other parts of one's beliefs and values can be relatively objective, but these two parts are the most subjective aspects of one's personality. The are also two of the most significant and powerful aspects of one's personality, and that is why they are identified separately on the diagram.
One's self concept and self esteem enter into virtually every thought and action. If a person's self concept is inaccurate, his statements and behavior will seem irrational to others. If his self concept is low (for example, if he thinks he has few abilities) he may shy away from responsibility, or rely on others to take the initiative. If he values himself too highly, he may treat others in a condescending and obnoxious manner, or display a false humility. If he does not value himself highly enough, he may act withdrawn or he may act aggressively and put on an air of superiority in order to compensate. If he views himself as an expert on certain subjects, that will determine the role he plays in many discussions. If he views himself as occupying a position of leadership or authority, he may treat others differently than he would otherwise. Indeed, every role and virtually every action is directly or indirectly tied into his self concept and his self esteem.
One of the Christian worker's most significant (and most difficult) tasks is to help another person form a healthy view of himself. A healthy self concept and a healthy self esteem will be positive, yet realistic. Psychologically, a person should see himself as being a capable person. Yet, he should be realistic about his weaknesses. Theologically, a person should see himself as important because he is created in God's image and because Jesus loved him enough to die for him. Yet he must be realistic about his sin nature. How an individual sees himself will have a subtle but strong effect on his self control and his spiritual growth.
As Christian workers, we want to help people, which requires that we have a good general understanding of people. The various disciplines which study people, such as psychology, sociology, and counseling are all worthwhile areas of study for the Christian worker.
But we must also get to know personally the individuals with whom we are working. We don't really know someone if all we know about him is what he looks like, what his name is, and what he does. We must get to know what he believes, what he thinks is important, how he views himself and his own worth, and what unconscious needs motivate him. Such intimate information is revealed only through hours and years of contact. A questionnaire alone cannot do the job. Many conversations in a non threatening atmosphere and many observations in informal settings are needed.
Each person has different needs, different beliefs, and different values and motivations. Our ministry must be geared to the unique aspects of each individual. The better you know each person, the more personal you can make your ministry and the more effective your ministry will be.