It is becoming more obvious daily just how much our God (revealed through Jesus Christ, His living Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit) has been sidelined or completely left out of the picture in human thinking, current world views and especially the study of man, sometimes called Psychology. I am working on my Masters in Special Needs and completing some papers on behavioural problems. It is amazing how many books, journals, papers etc have joined the desparate search for answers and solutions to antisocial behaviour or "psychological disorders." Most of these texts start with the premise that man is the sole definer of what is real. In other words man is the centre, the sole source of understanding man. So there are thousands of "experts" attempting to define humanity.
The problem is that, this is man defining man. Which expert is correct? Is there a conclusive scientific body of understanding or knowledge that finally gives us the answers to our problems? Who interprets these findings? Is it not the one with problems interpreting the problem? We are led down a path of confusing and "authoritative sounding" conclusions which are in the end a desparate search to find understandings about man within man.
God is no longer the starting point for defining who we are. This has tremendous repercussions for man. It explains why the answers given by so called scientific and empirical evidence based studies attempting to explain the causes of behaviour and human "states" are simply not working in the long term. Anti-social behaviour, identity confusion, depression and crime are increasing. Why?
These are thoughts and inspirations received while reading Jeremiah
Jeremiah 1:11
They have forsaken me
The fountain of living waters
To hew for themselves cisterns
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water
How long is the list of "broken cisterns"? Theories about man and causes of behaviour or psychological "disorders" litter the landscape with a proliferation of treatments. Many of these treatments assume a medical cause and hence remove any personal responsibility from man for dealing with the problem. Man is no longer responsible and accountable for his/her actions before a higher authority.
Jeremiah 1: 19
"It is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God
and the dread of Me is not in you"
Who should we fear? A fear of God (a healthy fear, recognition, awe, knowing who has complete authority) assumes complete accountability for thoughts and actions despite what has happened to us. We are not mere puppets of the environment continually blaming some "cause"! We are responsible and accountable before the One who created the universe!!
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that we are without excuse.
