Understanding Myself And Others
Dr. Norman Wise
Executive Director of Living Water Counseling Center | Christian Counseling | All Invites Welcome | No IDK's ??
Sometimes I look in the mirror and find it hard to recognize the man in the mirror.
Who am I?
I am wonderful.
Hard for me to say most of the time.
But from G0d’s perspective that is true. Crafted in the womb of my mother and called to a divine destiny before I was conceived, I am significant to God (Psalm 139).
I am a source of sharing God’s love with others, HIS strength with my abilities, demonstrating HIS wisdom in my true understandings and reflecting in a one of a kind way a part of who the infinite Redeeming Creator is before all humanity and creation itself.
I am made in God’s image and am the finite incarnation of the breath and life of God himself seen in the creation.
I am significant, and worthy of respect and love,
Who am I?
I am wounded.
Living “East of Eden” I have been hurt by people and events.
I have been lied to, physically attacked, betrayed, emotionally abused, verbally abused, abandoned, hated, and suffered loneliness, illness, lost loved ones to death, felt powerless, and hopeless before circumstances outside my control.
My mind, emotions, and body can betray me and not function as they should because of the impact of pain upon me here in this world of dark shadows.
Part of my wounds from my perspective is that God has allowed things that I cannot reconcile with the Creator loving me.
Prayer that I felt had to be answered with a “YES” have bounced off the ceiling. Events and harm has come my way without any divine intervention to help and I can only ask “Why?"
So I limp with Jacob and wonder why did God wound me?
(Book of Job - See for a summary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GswSg2ohqmA )
Also this is a video that can help us press on despite the pain.
11 Minutes that will change your life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ier5TWohH0
Who am I?
I am weak.
Some of this weakness is planned by God.
I am created to be connected to other people. To be interdependent upon them to accomplish my purpose. I need my neighbor and they need me. Life is a team sport. So people have different abilities, capacities, and potentials. But each unique person with their unique gifts and personally is needed by everyone else. ( 1 Corinthians 12) “Do not ask for whom the bell tolls for it tolls for me.” ( John Donne; https://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/meditation17.php )
I am also weak because the sins of others has impacted me. The pains I have suffered have damaged me and so my heart, mind, and even my body is not as strong as it would be if others had loved me as they should have loved me. I also have failed to love myself as I should and have caused myself injury.
The wounds I suffered because of living in this broken and twisted world has broken parts of me.
I need healing. (Matthew 9:12)
Who am I?
I am welcomed.
Even here “East of Eden” God has shown to me HIS love in people who have supported, helped, taught, encouraged, forgiven, shown me compassion, respected me, and welcomed me into their hearts and homes.
I have been loved by some so that I may see God’s love in them. - (Matthew 25:31-46)
Who am I?
I am wicked.
Sadly, I have not just been a victim of the lack of love others have had on me .
I have sinned to win.
Driven by selfishness, lies, distortions of reality. greed, anger, self-righteousness, and a lack of self control I have wounded others, harming them, discouraging them, and using them.
Through my words, actions, and attitudes I have abused others.
I am 100% responsible for all I have done. There is no excuse. (Romans 3:8-20)
I have failed to love God, be thankful, been filled with doubt, and pride.
I have spoken wrongly things in God’s authority saying the Creator said things which really were just speculations of my own heart and wanting to use his authority to support my own ideas.
I have failed to live in the fear and awe of the great Redeeming Creator and imagined myself acting independently.
My greatest sins are have been against the one who made me. (Psalm 51)
Who am I?
I am washed.
How can one so mangled and corrupted ever made right? Even my righteous deeds are filthy rags polluted with poor motives and poorly executed.
Oh wretched person that I am, who can save me? (Romans 7:24,25)
My only hope is to be cleansed by the great mercy and grace of God found in the suffering of Messiah Jesus on the cross having the just wrath of God pour out upon HIM to pay the full price of my wicked, unbelieving, and unloving life.
"(4) Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. (5) But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. (6) We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished him for the iniquity of us all. " {Isaiah 53:4-6 CSB}
I have been washed clean and in the healing streams of living water been forgiven, renewed, and restored to fellowship with my Redeeming Creator.
"(18) "Come, let us settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. " {Isaiah 1:18 CSB}
"(14) Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are my praise. " {Jeremiah 17:14 CSB}
That which was impossible for me is now possible for the Redeeming God.
I am forgiven and transformed by HIS saving mercy and unconditional grace.
But, to experience this I must say “Please wash me”. I have to come to HIM helpless and knowing that I cannot make myself clean. By HIS grace I must say yes to HIS grace.
"(2) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. ... (7) Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." {Psalm 51:2, 7 NASB}
In response to HIS costly washing away my sins I can now progressively and substantially be restored to the wonder of my original creation and even that is now on steroids having been energized in a new way through the wild outpouring of God’s Spirit into me as a temple of the infinite Redeeming Maker of all things. (Ephesians 2:1-10).
I am a new creation in my Savior Jesus!
Who am I?
I am wild.
I have in me the ability to have passion, energy, focus, and spontaneity.
I can be a God created “force of nature.”
This can be used in a horrible way to do harm, bring destruction, and insane acts of pleasure seeking or anger.
Intoxicated by chemicals, selfishness, lust or rage I can destroy others and myself in moments of uncontrolled words and actions.
Or it can be used in wonderful ways in which I show unconditional and costly acts of love, give to the poor, lift up the depressed, and pour out the compassion God has had for me in Christ Jesus in ways beyond all reason in reckless grace. (Acts 2:44-47)
( For some examples of this by real people who were wild for Jesus:
“Noble” - The extraordinary true story of the fearless and feisty Irish heroine, Christina Noble, who overcomes the harsh difficulties of her childhood in the slums of Ireland to realize her destiny on the streets of Vietnam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meaDLm82ofw
“Hacksaw Ridge” - The true story of army medic and conscientious objector Desmond Doss who, during WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. (This is a very violent film so caution to those who don’t handle extreme violence.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2-1hz1juBI
Who am I?
I am wonderful, wounded, weak, welcomed, wicked, washed, and wild. All of these things combined in a complex mixture day by day.
This is how I will be here “East of Eden”. Those who accept me must accept this complex and contradictory package of broken humanity. (Romans 15:7)
I must also accept others in the same way. It is a messy life.
One day all the wounds and wickedness of my life will be lost and my full glory will be seen when I finally reflect the Lord Jesus as I was made to do.
"(1) See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God's children -- and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know him. (2) Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. (3) And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. " {1 John 3:1-3 CSB}
"(3) I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." (5) And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true."" {Revelation 21:3-5 NLT}
So Eden will return on steroids, all the pain will be for gain, and the pregnancy of history will give birth to the full manifestation of the kingdom of love ruled by the KING of LOVE forever.
I will be who I was created to be forever and ever. Amen
Prayer
Lord of Creation and Redemption, my dear Jesus; help me accept and absorb all the truth about myself and others.
Keep me from denying any part of the reality that is me.
Help me to be a branch connected and abiding in YOU that YOUR life will flow through me and be of help to others.
Purify me of selfishness.
Forgive me my selfishness.
Increase my faith.
Open my heart to accept others for who they are and not for who I would like them to be.
Help me love unconditionally as YOU love me.
Make me an incarnation of YOUR love today. Amen
