Faith Venture

John Ortberg, senior pastor at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (California), is one of today’s best Bible teachers. He’s been teaching on the soul. The teaching includes looking at the different parts that comprise a human being. The teachings come from the Scriptures.

We all have a body, that part of us over which we exercise control. The physical part. We say move, and we move. The will is the decision-making part. It comprises the ability to choose. The mind in ancient thinking describes both thoughts and emotions. As an aside, modern brain research tends to confirm this view that thoughts and emotions work together. The soul is that which combines all of these plus more into a being that is dedicated to God.

Our problems come when we allow one part to exercise control over another. When our will (ability to choose) is controlled by our emotions, then we have problems.

One of the most important spiritual practices I can think of right now, is the practice of stepping back in your soul and recognizing your emotions, realizing where they originate, and then assuring that the will is not controlled by them. Do the feelings come from a sense of powerlessness? Too much ego involved? Depression–feeling that things can’t get better? Undo influence of others who have their own problems?

That’s one reason meditation is so important. It provides a breathing space where you can calm your soul and get it back in tune with God.

Psychologists have verified what ancient thinkers knew–you become what you think about. Your mind will believe just about anything you tell it. If you associate a thought with a strong emotion, it becomes an opinion.

The “will” is the power to choose within us. And our spirit gives us power in the choice.

I’m thinking about this, because (unless you have severe emotional problems that you cannot understand yourself) you can think yourself out of your moods.

One good spiritual discipline is that no matter what the situation you choose your response. You choose how you feel about it. You can feel like a victim or you can feel acceptance and gratitude.

The most important practice is to choose how you’ll greet the day ahead.

A manager in a manufacturing plant gets in your face shouting at you do fix the machine. His voice rises in volume and pitch. It’s as if he needs to force you to get the job done.

Manufacturing used to be run that way–force of personality. Anger was either seen as a motivator or a way to transfer stress from one person to another. I grew up in manufacturing. Saw my share of that.

But I think that most anger in daily life comes from insecurity. Someone says something that slights you. They imply that you are not smart, pretty, knowledgeable, spiritual, good enough. It makes you mad and you lash out in anger.

I was reading Paul’s lists of “things of the flesh” in Colossians that we should put put aside in favor of the clothing of the spiritual life. But what discipline, or spiritual practice, should we pull out of the toolbox to deal with this anger that rises from our gut and explodes through our head?

Sure, it’s easy for Paul to give another list that includes things such as peace, joy and love. But, do those help you in the moment? I know that even in a life that’s balanced on the whole, there are times when you can’t help yourself.

Best is to walk away and allow yourself to cool down. Search for perspective. Take a deep breath to relax the body and emotions and then bring your focus on Jesus and away from your antagonist. Most of the time they are dealing with their own insecurities. You can pray for that. But only after slowing yourself down and achieving a new focus.

A guy was explaining his view of the impact of social media and mobile electronics the other day on a podcast show. He lamented the demise of focus caused by too many sources of stimulation.

Someone once said that Herman Hesse was the first modern writer because his protagonist in the novel Steppenwolf always turned on the radio when he was in his apartment. He needed the noise and stimulation. This, by the way, was in Germany between the wars.

Is it a new phenomenon that people have trouble focusing on a task? Or is it just that we have so many more ways to be distracted? Remember the story of Martha and Mary when Jesus was visiting? Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping prepare food for the guests. Jesus said, “Martha, you are distracted by many things.”

There is a way. The practice of contemplation is older than recorded history. Contemplatives have figured it out. It’s a good practice–a good thing for a daily discipline or habit. You sit. Focus on breathing. Relax. Focus on your breath some more. If thoughts enter your mind, don’t force them out. Just let them drift away as you return your attention to your breath.

There are different traditions and practices beyond this simple stopping and focusing. You can repeat a word to focus your energy. Could be Om from the Hindu tradition. God, Spirit, Love or Jesus from the Christian tradition. Could be just a “primordial sound” such as ahhh or ohhh. Doesn’t matter. The whole idea is just to achieve calmness and focus.

At that point you can think with your imagination.  Picture yourself in one of the stories of Jesus. Perhaps you are along on that walk to Emmaus after the resurrection.

It is possible to be focused. But it is something you have to consciously choose.

I write about study a lot, because that’s what I do. It’s just natural. Strange, though. When I was in school, I was not a “good” student. I guess I was bright, but not smart. You probably know some of those people even as adults. They pick up new words easily. They repeat them. But they really don’t have any depth in the concepts behind the words.

I’d pick up stuff quickly, but I had (and still have) no interest in grades. The only time I cared about grades was when the report card came home and Dad gave me one of his patented 2-hour lectures about being too smart to get those grades or something like that.

But I’m curious, and I love to learn more. Then I started working in business and in “church work.” That added experience. The Beatles went to India and brought back Transcendental Meditation, but then I discovered the wealth of Christian contemplatives. Knowledge plus experience plus contemplation leads to wisdom. I’ve discovered this truth in business. I’ve discovered this in matters of the Spirit. One day you realize you’re confident in what you’re saying. You hit that inflection point where the three streams join.

Knowledge comes from study. It provides the foundation, for if you are ignorant, you will never grow. Experience comes from doing–service. Getting out into the world and working with and for people. Contemplation is also doing–of a different sort. It is the act of reflecting on the combination of learning and doing, putting it all together and understanding.

These three different activities, when brought together under the purpose of living with-God, change your life. You become more like the person Jesus and Paul and John and the others describe in the Gospels.

And maybe someday, you become wise.

Earlier I wrote about leadership as a spiritual discipline. The basic process of leadership is having a vision of the future and articulating that vision such that you get others to align with it.

But how do you get the vision in the first place? Do you just sit around gazing at your navel waiting for God to strike you? Well, actually, you have to help God.

The vision comes from looking around at your situation. Maybe in your church. Or your community. Or your business. And it occurs to you that there is a problem that is looking for a solution. You figure out how to solve that problem. That’s your vision. Now your journey of leadership has begun. Good is it’s something you’re interested in. Better is if it is something that many others are also interested in. Best is a solution that is a benefit and joy to other people.

Go for it. What are you waiting for? There are lots of problems waiting for a leader.

Benjamin Franklin was full of sayings. In fact, I just saw a blog that talked about 12. Try this one on for size:

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealth and wise.”

Paul devotes fully a quarter of his letter to the Romans to practical advice about how to live from the time you rise until the time you go to bed. In one section, he discusses all the things that you typically do late at night. Under the cover of darkness, lots of sinful activity occurs. Young police officers whom I’ve known and who want to be in the action want to work the shift that covers from about 11 pm until about 3 am. Lots of stuff happening there.

To live a fruitful life, making a habit of early to bed and early to rise is the first habit you should cultivate. For many people that is tough. But you accomplish much more with that lifestyle and keep yourself free of many temptations.