Triggers have been a big buzzword as of late. Highlighting the things that stimulate bad behavior. Yet it’s just another way of saying cause and effect, without completely acknowledging the cause side of it. This is problematic because all these “trigger warnings” are often just enabling people to dodge the problem, instead of dealing with it. The long-term goal is to eventually face them when ready, not forever run away from them. Proverbs 16:2 says, All a person's ways seem pure to then. But motives are weighed by the Lord. Other translations say weigh the spirit, rather than motives. Either way, God is focused on the cause more than the effect. So we should as well. Proverbs 20:27 also says “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.” The human spirit or the spark of life bestowed by God, that dwells within the heart, exposes us to God's light. The closer we are to him, the brighter it shines, exposing the faults within. Is this ultimately why we make it about trying to control our environment so it won’t trigger us, rather than focus on our heart at the source? We are avoiding God’s conviction, correction, and discipline; that we are responsible for. Not just the trauma done to us by others.
Let's look at a few verses and what they reveal about our relationship with cause, as well as their effects.
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. What makes a tree good? Pruning, fertilizer, and a proper amount of water. What makes a tree bad? Disease, insect swarms, drought, neglect. Of course, he is not really talking about trees, he’s talking about us, what makes our hearts bad. We must consider what triggers our hearts as individuals. Seek God for the proper nutrients to make it whole again, so we can be fruitful again.
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? It just occurred to me that perhaps there is a reason why he refers to the Pharisees as a collective like this. Maybe because they had a bad influence on one another, and their agreement on doctrine created the illusion of it being legitimate theology. Bad fruit just reproduces more bad fruit.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. If you overfill anything, it will be prone to spillages, or overflow. Or easily triggered if you will. If you’re filled with toxic things. Your spills will be toxic.
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. I am reminded of Paul’s words of “treasures in jars of clay.” (2nd Corinthians 4:7-12) Clay is a very Biblical symbol of humanity. We are virtual vessels, what we choose to store in ourselves matters.
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. The phrasing of “empty word” is curious. It’s not just reiterating the venomous things we say. It implies insincerity or disingenuous words. Like a shiny bright red apple that catches our eye. Yet is flavorless and mealy when we bite into it.
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. As Jesus says elsewhere, it’s what comes out of our mouth that makes us clean or unclean. (Matthew 15:17-20) But as the previous sentence implies, it’s not just the words themselves that matter. Rather the intent and sincerity behind them. As Jesus also indicates in the referenced verse, that all begins in the heart.
Galatians 6:7-10
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. While planting good seeds may seem easy enough, but are we allowing weeds into the garden as well. God sees what we are truly planting. Is this what it means by "God can’t be mocked." That we like the unfaithful servant in the parable of the talents are making less than honest claims about our actions. He sees our true motives as we saw in Proverbs 16:2.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. We won't know how to apply the spirit to the problem, instead of the flesh, If we don't truly understand the problem. Instead of just the surface effects.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Anyone can grow weeds, even with absolutely no effort at all. A good harvest takes time and effort. Hence the encouragement to put in the effort.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Doing good to others is apparently a way to sow good seeds. Are we guilty of making it all about ourselves? Are we harvesting for the good of everyone, or do we want to keep all the fruit to ourselves?
Sunlight and water can trigger seeds, that turn into plants. Yet sunlight and water alone can’t produce any fruit on its own. We also must be mindful and deliberate with our seeds, otherwise they can be overrun by weeds.
“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” One has to wonder if this was an issue during the apostolic era for him to phrase it like this. Their version of triggering if you will. So James is warning us about shifting the blame from the actual cause.
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Look within yourself for the root of the problem. God should be sought for solutions rather than blame.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Temptation leads to desire, and indulging the desire leads to sin. And so on. While we don’t always have control over what temptations come our way unless we want to live in a monastery. There is still that grey area between temptations and sin. What James calls desire. This is where we need to step up and respond deliberately, rather than hastily. Yet sometimes it's a desire that puts us into temptations sights in the first place. The tiniest frustrations can often direct our thoughts toward immediate gratification. This is where we need to stop, drop, and roll to stamp out that fire of desire.
Triggers are like fuel, without an ignition source they won’t burst into flames. So in a similar way, a person without the right ignition source will not be as easily ignited as someone with multiple ignition points within. So we can’t just put all the blame on the fuel as the world does. As a disciple, do you make excuses for your failures, and avoid facing the problem. When you should own, explore, and deal with them with God’s strength?
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