Spiritually Based

Allen Bergin has a "theistic world view".  That is the view a supreme being created the earth and its inhabitants.  Given this lens his theories of personality, human adjustment and therapeutic change I think are super cool.  Here are points worth highlighting.

1.  First.   God exists.  Human beings are the creations of God.  Therefore "there is an unseen spiritual processes by which the link between God and humanity is maintained".

2.  Second.  Spiritual holism.  Human beings have both a spirit body and a physical body and can not be reduced to mere biology.

3.  Third.  Epistemological pluralism.  Which says human beings can learn truth in a variety of ways.  Authority, reason, sensory experience, intuition, inspiration.

4.  Forth.  Divine revelation is the fundamental source of all truth.

5.  Fifth.  God has a plan.  Which includes faith in Christ and obedience to divine laws.

Eternal Values

This is a good book.  It was written in 2002 by Allen E. Bergin.  He approached counseling and psychotherapy from a spiritual place.  I have lots of favorites in this manual.  One of my favorites is Bergin's idea of of mortal overlay.  "Mortal overlay is the unique, complex set of characteristics that covers or 'overlays' our spiritual selves during earthly life.  It is the combined physical body and mortal mind with all their positive and negative features acquired through biology, genetics, and life experience.  It is not fixed but varies over the course of a lifetime according to biological changes, personal choices, environmental events, and spiritual influences" (p. 29).  Bergin shares in this workbook,  "Years ago I had a spiritual experience that profoundly influenced my understanding of human identity.  It undergirds my conviction that each person has a brilliant inner core that is obscured by a mortal overlay.  It is as though we have bright light within that is covered by a shade.  The brightness of the inner light and the thickness of the shade may vary from person to person, but the principle is the same".  He had the experience of seeing a client's essence, "what she could become and what she already was" and he became convinced that this celestrial essence is present in all of us even when there may be an inconsistency in our mortal personalities or behavior.  His thoughts confirm what we often say but may not know.  Like in our heart know.  We are all children of a very good God and we all have the light of Christ which is the most authentic part of who we really are.

ABC's

7 Sins

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7 sins.  Deadly sins.  Said to represents fallen humanity's tendency.  A kind of Christian ethics.  Part of educating the natural man and woman.  Book of Proverbs 6.  A type of warning.

I have been curious about this.  Today it seems that we have all forgotten.  There is obvious proof He knew.  He knows.  What will make us whole.  Spiritually.  Emotionally.  Well.

Here is the New International Version (NIV)

For some reason I find comfort knowing that our tendency toward weakness is no surprise to God.  He has a plan.  He loves us and has done all that He promised.  We are not alone.

Beautiful You

Click HERE to watch 3 minute video 

Approach

Approach motivation.  Avoidance motivation.  This topic fascinates me.  When our behavior is approach motivated our action is seeking good.  When our behavior is avoidance motivated our action or lack of action is to avoid bad.  I have studied this and our motive, approach or avoid, makes a difference.  It is really cool stuff and worth pondering.  
Here are a few examples.  

Wife cleans the kitchen.

• Approach.  It makes me happy to do things for my family.
• Avoidance.  I want to avoid others from thinking poor of me.

Wake up early to attend Church.

• Approach.  I want to learn and grow closer to Jesus Christ.
• Avoidance.  I want to avoid doing wrong and eternal punishment.

Seeking a college education.

• Approach.  I want to learn and provide for my family.
• Avoidance.  I do not want to be unemployed.

What do you think the consequences might be when our behavior is motivated by avoidance?  Higher risk toward depression.  Increased anxiety.  Less joy.  Avoiding something bad feels different then approaching something good.  It blinds us.  We see ourselves stuck.  Victims instead of free agents.  Think of your own examples and see where your heart tends to lead.  Approach or avoidance?