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Magical Thinking: Does God have a magic wand?
So far, we have reviewed the sin, truth, and experiential models of human growth. Finally, the supernatural model, while it has lots of variations, focuses on a type of magical healing and deliverance—the Holy Spirit will make things change if you just believe. I like to refer to this model as the magical thinking “poofing” model! It wasn’t until recently, and a bit before we started the How People Grow (Cloud & Townsend, 2001) Bible study, that I recognized how much magical or fairy tale thinking I have relied on during my life. I loved to read as a kid, anything and everything. Most of the books in my house…
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The Experiential Model: I am my experience.
Last week we discussed the truth model of human growth, as discussed in How People Grow (Cloud & Townsend, 2001). This week we will cover the experiential model. The experiential model urges you to find the pain in your life and deal with it. When I think of this model, I picture laying on a fainting couch and having Sigmund Freud hypnotize me to find long-buried memories of how my parents or loved ones tormented me in my youth and past. While this isn’t quite what this model espouses, much of the model does rest in rooting out pain and resentment and processing it out of the body. Again, as…
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The Truth Model: The Truth Will Set You Free
Last week we discussed the sin model of human growth, as discussed in How People Grow (Cloud & Townsend, 2001). This week we will cover the truth model. The truth model argues that if we just understand truth, we will be set free from sin and struggle. The underlying premise behind the truth model is that if you don’t experience “freedom in Christ,” you lack or don’t understand the “truth”. The solution? Read, study, and memorize scripture. If you do this enough, eventually, you will be set free and know the truth not just in your mind but also in your heart (Cloud & Townsend, 2001). I can see this…
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The Sin Model: The limits of confessing sin.
My mother, sisters, and I have recently started a bible study together. I ran across a study called How We Grow by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (2001). I have previously worked with and used materials related to boundaries created by this duo and was interested in reading more of their information. As licensed psychologists and believers, their work focuses on bringing biblical truth to light regarding personal and relational issues. The study, so far, has been enlightening, and I plan on sharing a few of our insights from the study over the next few weeks and months. The first enlightenment I received was four different models of how people…
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January Devotional from Psalm 3:5
Scripture: “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” Psalm 3:5 Thought: This verse is part of a psalm of David where he cries out to God for safety as he flees from his son Absalom. Imagine the state David might have been in, overwhelmed by his enemies, including his own flesh and blood. Whom could he trust? Where could he turn? How could he find rest for his spirit and body? Verse five of this psalm says that he lay down and slept. Imagine the trust David had to lay down and rest despite the danger around him. Action: In what area of life…
