This “fight or flight response” was first described by physiologist Walter Cannon in the 1920s. Therefore, all humanity has been marred and flawed by this sinful nature. God both shows us His will through His Spirit, and at the same time gives to us the enablement to carry out His will through the talents that He has entrusted to us. God loves us sacrificially, yet He created us to serve Him. Only when this takes place can the latent power of the personality be combined with the power of God to produce a productive usefulness in the Christian life. Christ, the Lord of psychology. The study of psychology as a scientific field poses problems for the Christian, yet when integrated with the psychological principles as demonstrated in God's Word, it offers the opportunity of opining new insights regarding Christian experiences and understanding of the Biblical truths. This shows the simple trust of the Christian in Christ as an organizing principle in life. But by the large, as Christians, we are isolated from the realities of the world. Along with this are the ver-increasing problems of the mind, social relations in a complex world today, mental and moral break-downs, the increase of the occult (e.g. Sin has a grip on all areas of creation and humanity, especially in the way in which we view our own ethnicity as well as how we think about and treat those of a different race. Paramahansa Yogananda describes God as Love, Consciousness, Absolute Existence and Ever New Joy. When the supposed, "the fact of science" conflicts with a person's belief, trouble may develop. Man is essentially free; he is conscious of himself as a being, and he can think and question his own existence. Modern psychology has a relatively short history, yet it is rooted in the longer history of philosophy, theology, and the natural sciences. Psychology is not a competing religion, but a field of study that could actually lead to a deeper understanding of humanity and, therefore, of God as Creator, Savior, and Healer. Saying the words “I love you” may have been less likely or frequent than showing “I love you” through cooking and other acts of kindness. This then is the message of Philippians, which gives to us what God considers the normal Christian life. The world cares nothing for the individual who is only a number, and though each individual is a unique person there is really no help for that person. Genetically Modified Organisms: Beyond the Limits of Care? If behavior is completely determined by these factors, as some think, then freedom is an illusion. An illustration may serve to help underscore this principle. Sometimes the trait of altruism (the unselfish concern for the welfare of othersbecomes the center and the results seem better. This is part of our community of being together. This has to do with Affection. Psychotherapy is needs-based. However, when God forgives He also forgets, and one doesn't have to worry about the failures of yesterday when he ahs confessed them before God. No, God does not evaluate His children in that fashion, for He evaluates us on the horizontal plain. Again, for the Christian this poses a real problem in that this philosophy accepts no authority other than experience. To a degree the world may be different, and the problems to us may not be as great or dramatic, and not have as much of a traumatic effect upon us as they do on various people in the world---but basically, we all have the same common nature, and all have the same common problems. This answers the problem of identification with the resultant proper organization. What Paul was plainly saying in this verse was that for him to live was Christ, and he was identified in this fashion. Just because the majority of people do a certain in one way or the other does not constitute that which is normal. I’m going through an interesting time- the thing is I do believe in God and Jesus and what The Lord has done. That is something that no bottle will ever accomplish, and every human being needs this affection not only as babies, but for the rest of one's life. Since man is constantly trying to explore the mind in human behavior, it seems logical to the Christian that his source of knowledge can best come through an understanding of the One who created the mind of mankind, as well as looking at the textbook He has written on the mind and human behavior. We give medals, letters of commendation, watches, appreciation banquets---we pass out awards and rewards, and various sorts of things. And yet in my desires to have my ego built up, there is also a certain amount of fear, and so I am trying to balance my fears with my ego as an individual," and that gives everyone problems. Chapter 3 helps us in the Passions of the Christian life. Every baby born into the world desires this. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The key to this problem of identification is in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ and to dies is gain." the do's of the Ten Commandments) that impose problems, but the great "gray" area wherein the Bible does not specifically state exactly what we are to do or not do. In concluding this section, it may be suggested there are five ways by which each Christian may live a more satisfying personal life, as well as be a better steward of the grace of God. God does not measure these abilities on a vertical plain as the world does, like a person who achieves a certain plateau or status in life as he climbs the ladder of success. See: Genesis 1:26-27, 2:15-20. Why? Yet he could say he was able to forget "those things which are behind.". This is the way that God wants us to live. . It dissolves the hard protective coating around the germ so that the white corpuscles are able to kill the germ. (Batavia, IL: Christian Association for Psychological Studies, 2007) 45. Mark Christians is Professor of Psychology at Dordt University. For the Christian there should be a day-by-day problem dealing, in confession of sin, eliminating the conflict, and allowing the Holy spirit to resolve the problems by guiding the individual in the truth of God's Word. God created us for relationship with Him. The answer is, no one knows what is normal. This problem of organization resolves itself into finding a proper center for the personality into which all human traits may be channeled, and which are at the same time beyond the human element. The fourth set of emotions that bothers us is what may be termed as destructive egotism. One can easily visualize that as the Apostle Paul went to preach to the Christians at various places, that there were probably people in his congregation to whom he was ministering who may have been, many years before, in prison under his hand, when he was Saul, or had friends, relatives, or neighbors who had been in prison. Then the psychologist tells him, "I'll see you nest week" and the person thinks the psychologist has done a lot for him. By the principles of God's Word there is renewed vitality through emphasizing the meaning of a person's relationship with God which deepens that experience. John Piper @JohnPiper. To be active in psychology means that we are active agents in God’s kingdom, as His image-bearers. The primary object of the science of psychology is human nature and how it is expressed in thoughts, actions, and feelings. The term "the unconscious God" refers to a "hidden relationship with the hidden God". Should it be sublimated or ignored hoping that it will go away and become a problem? God's Psychology integrates biblical truth and psychological insights to clear away the obstacles that keep us stuck in feeling, thinking, and behaving in destructive ways. Even though modern psychology often does not and will not acknowledge our sinful state, psychology has been busy studying human nature through the lens of positivism and naturalism. To free himself of this control it is often suggested that he should go about and "live it up." However, God has revealed that which is normal for His children, and the understanding of that normalcy is found in His Word. God’s true essence of love and grace doesn’t change, but our feelings can lead us to a distorted perception of God and his presence in our lives. The fourth emotion that all need is that of achievement---not only a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment, but also that which is praiseworthy, so when we achieve a certain goal there comes a certain amount of appreciation for that achievement, and it makes us feel good, so we desire it. God does not measure these abilities. The word “psychology” comes from the Greek word “psycho”, which is a derivative of the Greek word “psyche” meaning “soul.” Psychology looks no deeper than the soul of man for answers. The biographical sketches that one sees in God's Word in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament, are given to show out of the lives of men, women, boys, and girls, who have had similar problems as ours, who have had their heights and depths, their "cloud-nine" and their "Monday mornings," how God's children ought to live today. The third set of emotions that we are plagued with is that of the depression-guilt-psychic pain syndrome. 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