change

God made me an Artist. I’m still not sure what kind of medium will be mine, but I know my soul is one of an Artist. Whether it will be writing/composing a novel, poem, song, writing and directing a film, I know that this is what I’m called to do. As Eric Liddell would say: “When I [compose], I feel His [God's] pleasure”. Usually unable to say what’s really on my heart, I find I express myself eloquently via some artistic medium. I also reflect accurately what’s going on in the world and in people, and enjoy entertaining them. This may be the only time where my “true self” is more fully seen, and where I can discuss how I perceive the world. I want to bring joy to others, but I also know that in order for them to be truly happy, they need to change.

I enjoy entertaining people and bringing them pleasure that way, but especially for those close to me, I want them to enjoy the deepest of all happinesses. As the old hymn says:

Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s children know.

This is probably why I’ve also had a lifetime interest in Biblical Counseling. I’ve been reading through this “Resources for Changing Lives” series written by psychologists/counselors/pastors coming out of Westminster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. I just started reading: Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul David Tripp. I feel that many people do want help from God to change the worst problems of their lives: finding what kind of career they should have, living peacefully, enjoying a successful marriage, overcoming their cruel tendencies, but are somehow unable to do so in coming to God. I believe that this is because they are unaware of the biggest problem of all, their sin. And as much as they think they’re dealing with that, they’re not.

As Tripp says in his first chapter:

“As sinners, we have a natural bent to turn away from the Creator to serve the creation. We turn away from hope in a Person to hope in systems, ideas, people, or possessions. Real Hope stares us in the face, but we do not see Him. Instead, we dig into the mound of human ideas to extract a tiny shard of insight. We tell ourselves that we have finally found the key, the thing that will make a difference. We act on the insight and embrace the delusion of lasting personal change. But before long, disappointment returns. The change was temporary and cosmetic, failing to penetrate the heart of the problem. So, we go back to the mound again, determined this time to dig in the right place. Eureka! We find another shard of insight, seemingly more profound than before. We take it home, study it, and put it into practice. But we always end up in the same place.”

Sin is the biggest problem we have in our lives. It prevents us from coming to God for help with our problems. We need to rely on Christ to rescue us from ourselves.

Later he says:

“…Independence, self-sufficiency, and self-absorption lead us to think of ourselves first and to climb over the fences between ourselves and our desires. We want control and hate being controlled. We want to make up the rules and change them whenever it suits us. Essentially we want to be God, ruling our worlds according to our own will. No matter what else we are rebelling against, our rebellion is ultimately directed at God. We refuse to recognize his authority, robbing him of his glory and usurping his right to rule.

Sin also produces foolishness in us. Foolishness believes that there is no perspective, insight, theory, or ‘truth’ more reliable than our own. It buys into the lie that we know better. It causes us to distort reality and live in worlds of our own making. It is as if we look at life through a carnival mirror, convinced that we see clearly.”

And one more thing. Even when we try to do the right thing with the best of intentions, we miss the mark of God's perfection. We cannot perform it perfectly. In the end, it’s useless to put our hope in insights, and we can’t do anything to save ourselves. That’s why we have to trust in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. We trust in His finished work, His rescue from our sins.

Only the Holy Spirit can help us trust in Jesus because He enables us to see our need for His saving work. He becomes our hope, not a system. He conquered sin on our behalf! And through His redemptive power, He has changed our hearts. Now we love Him and obey His good laws, relying on His accomplished perfection as our substitute both in His life and death, since we can’t rely on ourselves.

I’ve had that big change in my life. I don’t know exactly how it happened, except that I know that I can’t trust in anything, or anyone but Him. Having a relationship with Him is the happiest part of my existence. In fact, it’s my whole existence. I’ve been growing in that faith almost my whole life.

So how does that help us with our “lesser” problems?

Tripp says at the close of his first chapter:

“The good news of the kingdom… It is the news of a Redeemer who has come to rescue me from myself. His rescue produces change that fundamentally alters my response to these inescapable realities. The Redeemer turns rebels into disciples, fools into humble listeners. He makes cripples walk again. In him we can face life and respond with faith, love, and hope.”

So, what about the smaller changes in our lives? It’s the same way. A Christian grows and changes all the time, instead of attempting to do as they did before, and ending up going around in circles and getting worse. A Christian sees their wrongdoing in relation to God (reflecting or not reflecting God’s glory), and seeks to make that right. The Holy Spirit opens their eyes to see how their behavior offends God, and the person sees themselves as responsible for their actions, growth, and change. What can a caring relationship do? That caring person’s responsibility is to “preach” the truth, confront sin, and expose. That’s all people can do (on either side).

But is this devoid of love? How can it be? A loving relationship occurs when there is honesty and truthfulness, but also acceptance and a covering over everything in love. Certainly, it should never be a self-righteous moralistic nagging. And it never be a tit-for-tat bout, or a decision to split the evil 50/50 between them...

Do we have the right to judge them either? God is the only Judge and He will indeed judge the world when He returns. But He has forgiven us and He urges us to forgive. Remember, we owe Him much more. However, it is to be noted that like our coming to God, who willingly forgives, a restored relationship does not occur until the person, acknowledges their fault and accepts the forgiveness.

Love always puts the other above him/herself and puts behind him/her a multitude of sins…

Our greatest need is God’s forgiveness of our sins. Only He can transform our hearts so that we do solve our lesser problems of curbing our cruel tendencies, having a loving relationship, having peace, and glorifying Him with our lives. His ways are best, although He always works through a process of changing us. If you don’t know Christ, won’t you please stop relying on methods that though lightly Christianized don't include dealing with God in all of His holiness, and today put your trust in His provision of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?

From the sublime to the less sublime, I would obviously like to take classes at Westminster Theological Seminary in PA, but we’ll see how that goes. Right now, on Monday, I will start training to oversee Art Therapy sessions at a Domestic Violence Center for women and children. I also appreciate using Art as a concrete part of counseling. Art is a deep way to communicate, and it “reveals”, gives you something to “do”, and allows you to have something to “look at”. I find it easier in some ways.

For me, I have found that so many blocks have become “unblocked” by even practicing Art Therapy as I am doing for a class which I am taking, designed for Teachers to teach Art Therapy.

At any rate, I know that ultimately beyond those things, I would like to produce a body of art from me that reveals those things about me, chronicles my thoughts on life, brings healing, and sparks a deep joy in those who hear me.

And that’s about as far as I’ve gotten so far………. :)