Eternity Outlook

Sometimes we find ourselves so wrapped up in life’s struggles, that we lose sight of the bigger picture of eternity. Paul the Apostle had this in mind when he wrote to the Corinthian congregation, “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17; CSB). Paul then provides a coping strategy for suffering in the next verse, “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

So, how do we implement this strategy of focusing on the “unseen?”  The answer lies in the previous verses.  The verse immediately before the two quoted above says, “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Renewing (changing) who we are on the inside (our heart) is the way we prepare for eternity with God. God knows this is impossible for any human to do, so he sent his own Son Jesus to provide the way for inner heart change to be accomplished. Although Jesus has done the “heavy lifting” work of the Cross, God waits for us to cooperate with Christ’s finished work and choose surrender. We must surrender our thoughts, feelings, desires, ambitions, motivations, and actions to his. Not just some, but ALL of them.

;               Now, since verse 16 begins with the word “therefore,” we must stop and ask ourselves what it is “there for.” How. When, Where, and What would cause us to want to give up, and not reap the benefits of inner change?  Paul lists some ways our outer world can try to break us. “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.  We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11). We may face difficulties of varying types and intensities. Our physical bodies have limitations as to their abilities to function, but our natural man is not the end of the story.

Paul continues with a reminder of the supernatural power of God indwelling believers in Jesus Christ.  “So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.  And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak.  For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you.  Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:12-15).

                Our commitment to Jesus is expressed by ongoing willingness to submit to God’s authority and live our lives for what matters to him. As we allow our hearts to be changed from the inside out, we are raised to greater and greater heights of victory over the setbacks of living in our natural bodies. The supernatural (“unseen”) wins over the natural (“seen”). Jesus reigns more and more in our thoughts and actions. Holy Spirit empowers us more and more. And, we experience closer and closer intimacy with father God. Surrendering our ways to God’s ways, on a continual basis, is the path to renewal.

                As individual believers undergo inner transformation, each is made a more useful tool in the Master’s hand. The combined success of the Body of Christ is fueled by the dedication and passion of each of its members (1 Corinthians 12). For unity of the Body to be achieved, and the mission to be accomplished, we must take seriously, our individual obligation to inner transformation.  

                It’s all about Jesus. Christ likeness is what we are being transformed into (2 Corinthians 3:18). May we say with Paul, “Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him” (Philippians 3:8; CSB). Heavenly-mindedness is also a theme in Paul’s letter to the church in Colossians, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).

                In the midst of those “earthly things” causing struggles, let’s allow them to point us to Christ who is our only eternal hope. Until that day when life on earth is done, the pieces of our heart already transformed into heaven’s likeness, will enjoy a little heaven while on earth.  For more details on how inner transformation works, see some of my other articles.

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

Emotional Capacity

The term emotional intelligence (EI)  has become a buzz word to address the role of emotion in relationships, work, organization, and family environments.  But most of what we hear on this topic has very little to do with emotions.  EI seems to have more to do with cognitive awareness and attempts to avoid or subdue emotions.    

I think Emotional Capacity (EC) is a better way to consider the emotional aspects of the human creature.  Intellect draws on the memory bank of the mind, but the capacity of emotional experience goes deeper to the heart of a person.  Unwanted feelings may produce unpleasant emotions, but the capacity to change these to pleasant emotions requires more than a mere decision to change.  Deeper qualities of love, joy, peace,  temperance, gratitude, contentment, kindness, and faithfulness must go beyond the imagination to provide meaning for ourselves and others around us.  

EI focuses on controlling behaviors. EC focuses on positively influencing behaviors by expanding core belief systems to engage and enrich a person . Mere cognitive awareness of emotion does not produce transformation.   Inside out change is much more rewarding, productive, and longer lasting.  

Emotions carry messages.  The messages they report are gathered from thoughts and feelings about the environment.  Who we are as a person is based on our constant evaluation of our value and worth in our environment.  Therefore, our identity directly relates to our EC.  

EC can be defined as the ability to interpret and express inner emotional messages with unshaken assurance of personal worth and identity.  

I discovered valuable insights on EC by reading things by Dr. Richard Ecker.  We learn how to navigate our environment by developing coping skills.  Ecker points to Webster’s definition of coping as “successful striving.”  In the Emotional Survival Training Manual, he writes that coping, “is the ability to stand and endure in the face of difficult circumstances— or maneuver to avoid them. But we do not cope when we merely stand and endure or run and hide. We cope when we strive actively against the realities we face— and succeed.”  

  Ecker also says, “Typically, coping success is believed to be tied to the ultimate outcome of the situation that has made the coping necessary. If the outcome is good from the standpoint of the individual who is trying to cope, then that person is generally considered to have coped successfully. If the outcome is undesirable, then most people tend to feel that they coped badly. The fact is, outcomes have nothing at all to do with whether or not an individual coped successfully with the situation. The only real measure of coping success is whether or not that person emerged from the encounter with a positive feeling of personal value— that is, has successfully striven.”  

Cope-ability is based on increasing a sense of God-given personal value and worthfulness.  Let me distinguish between self-worth and self-esteem. Value and worth is an attribute given by God inherent in the existence of every human life.  Nothing a person does (or doesn’t do) can add or detract from the image of God in personhood.  Esteeming self by ex halting one’s human ability to create or maintain superior value, is not the kind of striving discussed here.  Selfish satisfaction of personal desire works against the created order of God.  Self-worth is selflessly accepting and  loving the person who God made you to be.  

Ecker says,  “if you learn how to confront the realities of life in such a way that you can emerge from each experience with a positive sense of personal worth, then you can gain from each experience valuable equipment that will make you even more successful in succeeding confrontations.”   Increasing emotional capacity is the goal.  Accepting your unconditional personal worth is the means to that goal.  

In order to obtain the full message from emotion, one must be able to identify specific thoughts and feelings and determine the reality of their impact.  EC allows a person to feel.  Fear of feeling, shuts a person down so that the true messages being sent by emotions are not received.  If a person denies or minimizes the feeling of sad, they will also not be able to feel glad.  Pushing away the feeling of alone, will also prohibit a feeling of belonging.  Refusing to feel wherein one’s discontent lies, will also limit the capacity to feel true contentment.  Whatever negative feeling is avoided will inevitably cut off the ability to feel the positive counterpart.   

Anger management, for example, without anger engagement, may actually diminish one’s EC.  (see article http://authoredhersh.blogspot.com/2015/09/anger-management-or-anger-engagement.html)  Anger is a surface emotion in that a deeper message is always behind the anger.  If feelings like rejection, guilt, or shame are the source of the anger, a cause nor solution have no chance of being discovered if the anger is merely “controlled” and not also engaged at a deeper level. EI may offer a solution to anger that would include withdrawing from situations that make you angry.  EC would build the ability to cope with the inner source of anger so that tougher and tougher situations can be endured without triggering the anger.   

At one time or another, we all face overwhelming emotional circumstances in life.  Our coping skills have limitations based on our perceptions of our personal worth.  Our capacity to overcome (or lack thereof), is most significantly influenced by our parents and the people in our background who shaped core beliefs about ourselves and the world around us.  

Another thing to realize is that negative feelings are the default mode of our human condition. From birth we feel things like the following without having to take lessons: rejected, deserted, left out, ashamed, trashy, unfit, unworthy, anxious, desperate, fearful, powerless, helpless, oppressed, weak, damaged, flawed, inferior, insignificant, unappreciated, unloved, defeated, hopeless, disoriented, and depressed.  From a very young age we assimilate these into our concept of self-worth and unconsciously create conditions for accepting love and affirmation from other people.  We form habits of interpreting and expressing inner emotional messages that condemn rather than build up.  When this negativity is reinforced or aggravated by those around us, developing a positive sense of self-worth is all the more difficult.  

It takes some effort to increase the capacity of the emotional part of our being, but it is worth every bit of effort.  Building resilience  is like filling a reservoir with clean water in preparation for an unknown drought season.  We may not know when the next crisis or conflict tests our stamina or stability, but we know our personal worth is not based on how the situation turns out.  We fill our soul with “clean water” by uncovering and healing the source of damaged self-concept, learning and developing new coping skills, and replacing bad habits with good habits.   

In the next article I will address more of the how to’s for increasing emotional capacity.  

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry