We were designed by Our Creator to live a life filled with meaning, joy, and peace; yet many of us live in emptiness, fear, anger, and guilt. We seek meaning in pleasure, relationships, money, and power, but these things don’t satisfy the longings of the heart. We turn to the promises of the Bible, but they seem to mock us. The fear, anxiety and emptiness remain so we settle for the form of godliness while lacking the power of godliness.
Ellen White offers hope:
“The true principles of psychology are found in the Holy Scriptures. Man knows not his own value. He acts according to his unconverted temperament of character because he does not look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of his faith. He who comes to Jesus, he who believes on Him and makes Him his Example, realizes the meaning of the words, ‘To them gave He power to become the sons of God’” (My Life Today, p. 176).
This statement summarizes 3 of our most basic problems: 1) We don’t know our value, 2) We act according to our unconverted temperament of character, 3) We don’t look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. It also tells us who is best suited to help others with their personal problems - those who know and believe the Bible. Why? Because “the true principles of psychology are found in the Bible.” The information we have from the Bible concerning the nature of man and the source of our problems is impressive.
On the 6th day of creation,
“God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:26-28).
Because this passage is so familiar, it is easy for us to miss something of great importance. For the first time there is a change in the creation story. On day one God created, declared what He had created as good, and there was evening and morning. This pattern continues every day until the sixth day when the rhythm is interrupted. God does something with Adam and Eve that He has not done with the rest of His creation – He talks to them. Why did God talk with Adam and Eve? Because they were designed differently than the rest of creation.
God knew that even though they were perfect people living in perfect relationship with Him, they could not figure out life on their own. They were created to be dependent. God had to explain to them who they were, what they were to do, and how life had to be lived for them to experience all they were created to be.
What made us different from the rest of creation that we needed God to talk with us? Three things: 1) We were created for fellowship with God and as such were given communication skills that no other creature was given. These abilities were not given primarily to encourage human relationships; they were given so we could know and understand God. Only as we properly understand God can we properly relate to each other and the rest of creation. 2) We were created to be interpreters. We take in information about life around us and then live our life according to our interpretation of those facts. Our thinking conditions our emotions, our sense of identity, our view of others, and our agenda for solving life’s challenges. However, like Adam and Eve, we are dependent upon God’s word to accurately interpret our world. We need His perspective to help us arrive at valid interpretations so we can respond to life appropriately. 3) We were created to be worshipers. Worship is not just something we do; it defines who we are. This is the motivational core of our lives. Some central love commands our allegiance and directs our behavior. The difference among us is a matter of what or who we worship. For Adam and Eve, everything in their life revolved around God, His purpose, and revealed will. The emotions we experience so much today, guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, lust, selfishness, were foreign to them until the entrance of another voice was heard in their garden home.
Genesis 3:1-7 tells the story:
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”
Notice the content of the serpent’s counsel; he takes the same set of facts God had given to Adam and Eve regarding the tree and gives them a different interpretation. Eve stands in one of the most important moments in history – the same place you and I stand every day. What will she do with this new interpretation? Will she follow the counsel of the Creator or the counsel of the serpent? To whom will she entrust herself? Where will she seek to find her meaning and purpose? What will she believe about God, His word, and His plan for her life? These are the questions of the moment.
The drama recorded in Genesis 3 gets to the very core of human existence. Satan is not just selling Eve the best fruit in the garden; he is selling her something more appealing. He’s telling Eve that if she ate the fruit she would be independently wise – “you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (v. 5). He’s basically saying, “You can rely on your own ability to think, interpret, and apply what you see and feel. You don’t need to be dependent upon God; you can handle life on your own!”
This was the attraction that led to the fall. If Adam and Eve choose to follow the counsel of the serpent they will have to do two things: 1) Deny God and His revelation of Himself as their Creator, the One who defines their identity and purpose; 2) They will have to deny their own nature – how they were designed to live and function.
What satan offers as a credible option is no option at all. Adam and Eve were created for a certain kind of existence – oneness with God. They cannot successfully live outside of that design. Yet this is what they are about to try. What were the results? The primary result was a fundamental shift in the nature of man which led to a fundamental shift in our interpretation of life and how we respond to it. Romans 1:21-25 puts it this way: “
…although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,…who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Rebellion
Rebellion is simply giving in to 3 lies:
Autonomy: “It’s my life, I have a right to do what I want.”
Self-sufficiency: “I can take care of myself; I don’t need to depend on anyone else.”
Self-focus: “I am the center of my world; I will live for myself and do what brings me happiness.”
These three lies deny our basic design as human beings. We were not created to be autonomous. We were designed to live in submission to God and to reflect His character. Satan still whispers these lies in willing ears today. They lead us to think of ourselves first and to break down any barriers between ourselves and our desires. We want control, we want to make the rules and change them whenever it suits us. Essentially we like satan’s interpretation of life – that we can be like God knowing what is good or evil for ourselves.
Look at all the problems that came into the garden because Adam and Eve chose satan’s interpretation of life: rebellion against authority, self-seeking, guilt, fear, shame, cover-up, pride, blame-shifting, breakdown in communication, and an orientation toward desires/feelings instead of obedience to God’s Word. You may say, “That was all back then. The conflicts I’m dealing with today aren’t about some forbidden fruit in a garden.” The only difference between then and now is that the “fruit” has changed. We are by design creatures of worship. If we do not worship the Creator, we will worship created things. This change in the motivational core of our lives is the root of all personal problems.
Personal Sin
I suggest there are only 3 sources of personal sin. This may sound simplistic and naïve, but wrestle with it and see if it holds true or not.
1. Personal sin – living life outside of God’s design for us. We don’t often see this as the cause of our problems because we are interpreting life according to our perspective rather than God’s. But God tells us “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Yet many of the painful things that happen in our lives we see as trials we don’t deserve. This personal interpretation produces bitterness against God for allowing them to happen. God also says:
“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).
The reason a particular situation is a trial to us is because it puts what we value at risk. For example, if we value a comfortable life more than being perfect and complete in Jesus, we will be doing more grumbling than rejoicing when trials come. Personal sin is a major source of the problems in our life.
2. Demonic activity or possession. I’m not talking about the activity that comes because we deliberately give demons access to our lives by listening to demon-inspired music, watching demon- inspired movies or playing demon-inspired video games, etc. This is the result of personal sin. I’m talking about demonic activity that comes when the forces of hell array themselves against us because we are expanding the kingdom of God. An example would be the demon-possessed girl in Philippi who followed Paul and Silas shouting, “these men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). She kept this up for many days, and it was a trial for Paul because it was hindering the work of God. He finally commanded the evil spirit to come out of her, and it did. That landed Paul and Silas in stocks in the inner dungeon of the prison. What did they do? They counted it all joy and sang praises to God. God sent an earthquake that set them free and resulted in the conversion of the jailer and his family. Do you think we would experience similar victories if we did more praising than complaining when trials come to us?
3. Organic illness: physical and/or mental issues that can be medically tested and treated. Some would like to add a fourth source: non-organic mental or emotional issues, but this would not be correct. Emotional problems are not the cause of personal problems - they are the result of personal problems. If a person struggles with mental issues he/she should consider getting a complete physical exam to find out if there is an organic cause such as the thyroid not working properly, low blood sugar levels, or some chemical imbalance. This would be an organic illness which can be tested and treated. However, if there is nothing physiologically wrong with them, it is not a mental problem that drugs can treat, it is a lifestyle problem.
We were designed to have meaning in life. This can only be found in a personal, obedient relationship with God. Those who look for meaning in life apart from God and His Word are destined to crash as Jesus says in Matthew 7:24-26:
“Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Those who build on the shifting sands of self and worldly pleasures will discover, sooner or later, the meaning they sought in life has evaporated. King Solomon will tell you all about it in the Book of Ecclesiastes. All day-by-day activities take on ultimate meaning only in relationship to God. Those who live for short-term pleasures will ultimately discover that the things they have staked their lives upon no longer hold meaning for them. Thinking and acting in the short-term alone, they stumble from one unsatisfying experience or relationship to the next - finding no lasting fulfillment, or peace. They become depressed, disillusioned, and bitter. The short-term solutions they have depended on are no help in solving the problem of ultimate meaning. Having exhausted all known resources, they have painted themselves in a corner. They are not out of touch with reality, rather, they are out of resources. They have come to the end of themselves - with no place to turn so they cease functioning because they don’t know how to function meaningfully.
Such a person is often described as having a “nervous breakdown”, however what has collapsed is not their nerves. Nerves don’t “breakdown.” (When someone says they’ve had a nervous breakdown, reach over and pinch them. When they say “ouch” tell them their nerves are working just fine, they haven’t broken down. The problem is the foundation they have built their live on has crumbled. Having built on the sands of self-centered living, their house falls when the storms of life beat on it.
The stark difference between building on the rock of God’s Word vs. the shifting sand of human feelings is described in these two verses:
· “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trust in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
· “…although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:21-22). Irresponsible living leads to irrational thinking.
Satan knows the power that comes when we walk in obedience to God. He does everything he can to keep us out of that path. One of his most successful means is to make us think we cannot Do what God requires because we do not Feel like doing it. He wants us to believe that doing what we don’t feel like doing would be hypocritical. This deception sounds so pious, but it is a lie. Consider the following scenario:
Marriage Conflict
A husband and wife are heading for a divorce. They come to their pastor or counselor and say, “I guess there is nothing left to our marriage - no love - no feeling - no nothing.” They hope the pastor will agree that divorce is the best option for them. However, if he is a Biblically oriented pastor rather than feeling oriented pastor, he will say something like this: “I am sorry to hear that. I guess you will have to confess your sin and learn how to love one another.” The reaction is one of astonishment.
“But” they protest, “we told you that we don’t feel anything for each other anymore.”
“I understand, but that is irrelevant: God says that you must love one another. When you learn to do this, the feelings of love will follow. Love is not feeling first, it begins with obedient living. Jesus said ‘where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ As you start treasuring each other your heart and feelings will soon follow.”
“What! They respond. Do you mean we must try to love one another contrary to all of our feelings?”
“Exactly”
“But wouldn’t that be hypocrisy”
“No, that would be obedience to God, who commanded, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
“Oh, I couldn’t love her in that way!”
“Well then start at a lower level. Christ commanded: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ She is your closest neighbor.”
“I don’t think I could do that either.”
“All right, let’s begin at the lowest level. Christ commanded, ‘Love your enemies!’ You see, there is no escape, God commands love, even toward an enemy. The two of you must repent of your sin and by the help of God learn to love each other, even if you begin by loving as enemies.”
“But how can I love an enemy?”
“Remember, love is not a feeling at first. Love is not about getting but rather giving. The Bible says: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). Galatians 2:20 says: “(Christ) loved me and gave Himself for me.” And Ephesians 5:25 says: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” When you learn to give of yourself - your time, your money, your interest - you will eventually experience the feeling of love.”
“Well...perhaps; but it still seems hypocritical.”
“No, it is never hypocritical to obey God. You have fallen into a trap of the devil in thinking that it is. Every morning - contrary to my feelings - I get up. Does that make me a hypocrite?
“No. I guess not.”
“What would make me a hypocrite?”
“Well, I suppose if you went around bragging that you loved to get up in the morning.”
“Precisely! Now, if, as the Scriptures command, you give of yourself in concrete ways to your enemy - when you care for his needs, even though at first you don’t feel like it, does that make you a hypocrite?”
“I guess not.”
“What would?”
“If you said that you felt like doing it.”
“Right. So, you see, it is not hypocrisy to work at loving someone. That is the lie of Satan; he wants you to rationalize away your desire to withhold love from others, and then excuse your failure with the protest that obedience to God without feeling is hypocrisy.”
There are only two paths we can walk in life. They have two different counselors and produce two vastly different outcomes. We all have the ability to walk in either path because the journey begins with our choice. The old gospel song had it right:
“When we walk with the Lord In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way; While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.”
“Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, Not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.”
“But we never can prove the delights of His love, until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, And the joy He bestows, are for them who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
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Bio: Dick Bullock pastors the Escanaba and Riverside Churches in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula