Wholeness: Through not around

According to counselors, people deal with external conflicts in one of three primary ways, avoiding, fighting, and dealing. However, I dare say when it comes to an internal conflict we have a tendency to all become avoiders. There is no point in fighters dumping their emotions on themselves since they are already there. Those same fighters can't shift the blame on internal conflict without turning it into an external one, which they often do. The high amount of interpersonal intelligence that gives dealers the insight to actually understand conflicts with others doesn't necessarily translate to internal ones. That takes the rare trait of intra-personal intelligence, which gives the individual the self-awareness to deal with internal conflicts. Avoiders can avoid, no matter where the conflict comes from. These are the people keeping themselves busy with trivial matters to avoid what's really important right now. As you can see, it's very easy to try to detour around the issues within. The world not only offers many options for this; it encourages it. Yet, if we truly want wholeness, the real answer is to go through it, not around.

The practice of psychoanalysis asserts that all our disorders stem from trauma in our childhood. Then seeks to identify that trauma. While identifying the root cause through therapy will take you to the issue, that in itself will not take you through it. Even modern psychology now recognizes that identifying the core of the issue doesn’t automatically change anything. There are a lot of learned patterns of behavior revolving around said trauma to overcome. Again, that requires going through it.

For the Christian, that means inviting Jesus into it. That is what brings healing to our wounds. Yet, the uninformed believer often does the opposite. They feel that they have to become perfect to invite Jesus in since we are often ashamed of what lies within. What we must remember is that Jesus already knows what you are trying to hide, and it won't be made perfect until you allow him in to fix it. We need to stop projecting these immature Old Testament ideas upon our New Covenant lives. In the end, the putty must go in the gap, not around it, the bandage must go over the wound, not around it. It is no different with our heart,

As I have already indicated, emotional trauma often lies at the heart of our issues. So naturally, we assume facing it will be like reliving that trauma all over again. Even the highly self-aware can become reluctant at the worst of it. So we will often do anything to avoid that, even if it means endlessly circling around the issue in a never-ending cycle that just keeps you static. All the more reason to invite Jesus into it, he is more than willing to hold your hand to guide you through the minefield of your heart. He is eagerly awaiting for you to do so. What are you waiting for?

The Visual PARABLEist