| Even the Apostle Paul struggled to understand how to navigate his inner world – thoughts, feelings, actions. |
|
|
Clearly I’m no theologian and I can’t speak for everyone, all I have is my own story of what God has used for my path to healing, from what I had never put a name to – prior to 3 years ago, which is trauma and C-PTSD to a person transformed by way of becoming aware and living into my true authentic self. My experience is that part of God’s plan was to reveal these things to me during my coaching program and have me eventually specialize in working with people with similar backgrounds. It was a testimony of staying close to Him and listening – He will show us THE WAY that is right for each of us – in His timing. The word ‘trauma’ used to frighten me. I resisted getting near those cases/scenarios for fear that their stories would be too much for me to hear, and maybe at the time that was true.
My story of redemption wasn’t overnight, or a spiritual deliverance. For me, the most enlightening information and powerful tools for healing came 20+ years after I received the Lord as my Savior. God had something different in mind for me, it would take time, and He would use other sources to allow my knowledge of Him to reach my shattered heart. My plea is that for those of us who call ourselves Christian’s – to give space for ‘different’ – for what God is doing, NOT our will, but His. God works through other people – to bring them closer to Him. Sometimes there are ‘road blocks’ to God and faith because of the hypocrisy experienced in our past. We need to be sensitive to that if our desire is to draw people near to the Lord, otherwise we risk becoming another thorn in their side, not His vessel. |
|
Paul’s struggle with sin and confusion…
“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right but I don’t do it. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:18-20
How familiar does this sound in your own life? How frequently do you catch yourself dialoguing with your inner-world? Do we simply chock it up to ‘the flesh’ or our ‘sinful nature’ and deflect – with a “it’s not really me”? WELL the reality is… IT IS YOU!! It’s a part of you…that feels justified to blame, criticize, protect – which are old patterns of behavior formed from experiences in our past. Paul wasn’t born with these strategies, he learned them over time, just like we have. Old patterns of responding were automatic and necessary for our survival, when we were young. |
New truths…new ways of responding
I’ve heard that it’s impossible to escape childhood without any wounds, but as we embrace new truths of who we are in Christ, these protective reactive patterns can soften and take on new roles in our life – ones that are life-giving. Internal Family Systems is a model very affectively used to heal and transform those of us with deep childhood wounds.
Paul said; “There is another power within me that is at war with my mind.” – all of these passions; anger, pride, deceit, envy, avarice, fear, gluttony, power, sloth – our sin nature, identified through the Desert Father’s 1000 years ago. These are all early roots of the Enneagram, a personality tool that shows us our false self and gives us a roadmap to our true, Spirit-led self. Which of these do you struggle with the most? |
|
“I really want to obey God, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin.” Romans 7:25b
Yes, Jesus died to save us from our sins, and we praise Him for His sacrifice! It wasn’t until many years later that God would reveal knowledge of how His Spirit could work holistically with our brain and body to offer additional sources for deep healing of our inner struggles. It is my experience that when we partner with God from our Spirit-led self with a heart of right motives, a mind that is alert to our sinful patterns of reacting to stress – or old narratives, and are attuned to a body that is centered in peace and wellness, we will have the strength and wisdom to see, feel, and respond with compassion and love for ourselves and others – like Jesus, not be a slave to sin like Paul.
|
|
How do I know when I’m living from my Spirit-led self?
Slow down… to notice – Are you being Curious about self and others; do you see yourself as Courageous? Are you showing Compassion to yourself and others? How much time do you spend in a Calm emotional and physical state? Do you feel Confident? How Connected are you to others? Do you allow yourself to be Creative? How much Clarity do you have about your life and decision making?
These are the virtues of the Internal Family Systems model. |
|
|
|
|
