| Conclusion
Conclusion
Too often we are guilty in the Christian church of superficially trying to help people. We try to stick verses or quick 3-step solutions to people in order to try to get them to behave better. I hope that this book has shown the reader that there are principles that can help people live free from the brokenness of our souls. But they are not simple or easy. Let’s not sin as the false prophets did in the time of Jeremiah: “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace.” Jer. 6:14 I am going to conclude with a paradigm for problem solving. It's a thought problem. I want you, the Reader, to evaluate yourself in this paradigm. (A paradigm is a sort of scheme that one can hang things on, very similar to a parable.) Problems may be solved at different levels. The following paradigm is designed to help us understand these different levels, and illuminate which level on which we tend to work. We'll use the illumination of an 'idiot-light' on the dashboard of a car as the paradigm. The Parable Driving down the road one day a light on the dashboard flashed, 'low-fluid.' Several avenues of action are possible: ¨ One: realizing that it is only an indicator of windshield-wiper fluid, and seeing that the day is beautiful, the husband simply continues along and ignores the light. ¨ Two: his wife, who also drives the car, becomes irritated with the light--which her husband seems to have no interest in fixing--and sticks a colorful sticker over the nagging light. ¨ Three: Their son, who also uses the car, keeps opening the hood every few weeks and adding more fluid, which continues to be lost at a rapid rate since the cap to the fluid container is missing. The real solution is to fix the container by calling the Dealer who carries such items, ordering the cap, going down and fixing it to the container. On a deeper level, however, we might realize that some character flaws perhaps are being illuminated. Presuming the husband is responsible for the upkeep of the car, he is proving himself irresponsible in the task. This is a seemingly small problem, and thus doesn't seem worth the pain of confrontation that the wife should make, rather than putting a colorful sticker on the dash. However, on a day that it is raining, and the windows are covered with road-spray, this oversight could lead to an accident. A similar problem later could be an oil light, which when ignored could lead to an engine meltdown. None of the characters in the above scenario are really addressing the problem. Their approaches take care of it at a certain level, but really do not get to the root problem, addressing it in such a way that those involved are transformed in character so that this and future related problems are cared for. We need to be sensitive to the level at which we're comfortable dealing with problems, and realize that God will likely call us to go to a deeper level for the sake of all those involved including ourselves. Every problem will be different, and appropriate to handle at different levels. We need to take into account the danger of the problem, the strength of the relationship, the readiness of the person involved, as we try to discern the level at which God would have us work. My thesis is that each one of us would tend to work at a different level, naturally. While most of us would prefer to work at a shallower level, God is calling us to go deeper. We need to realize what level we are comfortable at, because the chances are always that we'll slide back to that. We will ignore the problem, put colorful stickers on it, or continually pour fluid in the container. We are all called to grow in Christ. We will never reach that point of maturity until we are ultimately reunited with Christ. But we must always be pressing on in this world as we prepare for the next. God is always asking each of us, individually and as church bodies, to move forward. We cannot afford to be lazy. We must strive forward as Paul, laying aside what lies behind and stretching for what lies ahead, reaching upward for the prize of the upward call of Christ Jesus. May God grant you and your transforming community to grace to persevere in the ministry of transformation! Back |