Been a while since I've (read: anyone) has written anything here, so I thought I'd share some thoughts and post a little update.
For those that have taken notice, I've been doing some recording of old Christian books on the podcast (You can find them on the Soundcloud page, in the section called "audiobooks"). One of those books I've been recording chapters of is John Owen's "Of the Mortification of Sin," which has gotten me thinking of more applicational ways of dealing with sin in our lives, and I'd like to share one method with everyone.
One question that I think is common to any Christian in regards to their sins is, "Why do I do that?" While I could go into the theology and doctrinal reasons, which would take quite a bit of space, I want to address this in a more practical means that can be easily followed. What we're addressing, and what that common question is concerning itself with is analysing the situational aspects of our individual sinful actions and addressing them on a situation-by-situation basis to build awareness of what types of situations are lending themselves to our sins, and then through that awareness, being prepared ahead of time to counteract those temptations or perhaps even habits before they happen.
The first thing is to address the difference between the actual problem and the surface, or felt problem. For this whole exercise, we'll use the example of anger as our sin that we're dealing with. So we've identified the sun, but often as is the case, when asked about a specific circumstance, "Why did you get angry?" The answer often given in response is going to be the circumstance itself. "I got cut off on the road," "I was late for a meeting," "Someone mouthed off to me at work," etc. See the problem here? These answers only address what happened, they don't actually get to the heart of the issue. These are the surface issues, or as psychologists like to call them, "triggers." The actual problem is always deeper than that.
So what I'm going to do is give everyone a practical solution, and explain our way through it and hopefully you'll see how this can be helpful in avoiding sin and getting to the root of the problems we all face.
This exercise revolves around journaling. I know, I know, we all hate journaling. I personally hate journaling. However, it is effective. It can be used as a means of meditation on your daily life, perhaps even as part of your quiet time as you contemplate your day and come before the Lord in prayer and repentance. So, I suggest doing this daily for several weeks, then going back and assessing your overall journaling and looking for changes, trends, etc., and then continuing on but with a new perspective and awareness on why we're experiencing sin at the times we do.
So our journal format is going to look like this:
1) Sin
2) Trigger or Felt cause
3) Actual cause
4) Spiritual or Theological solution
5) Practical solution
Here's what each one of those headings refer to:
1) Sin- What is it I did? How did I sin?
2) Trigger or Felt cause- What was it that, on the surface, caused me to do what I did? What was the circumstance of my sin?
3) Actual cause- Here is where we want to go deeper. We've identified what it was that happened circumstantially, but what about inwardly? What are my [wrong] presuppositions about life that motivated me to do what I did in reaction to the trigger? Did I act as though the world revolves around me? Do I act as though I am always right and everyone is always wrong? Do I think that I should always get what I want? Do I not act as though others have/deserve respect and dignity? These are the true causes of sin, not the triggers or the circumstances. Once we become aware of these presuppositions, then we can start addressing them as the root problem.
4) Spiritual or Theological solution- How do we address the issue Biblically? If I think the world revolves around me, how does this accord with God's sovereignty, or do I think that I can place demands upon God that he must meet? If I didn't get what I want, do I believe or disbelieve that God is working for me, and that he may have bigger plans/this may be more beneficial to me in the long run? If I find my problem is lust, am I viewing that person as a carrier of the image of God? As the image of God, do they deserve or not deserve the dignity of being treated as more than just a thing? So we want to assess the "actual problem" from the standpoint of things that we hold to Biblically, and recognise where our thinking errors are and correct those errors through right thinking which then should lead to right acting.
5) Practical solution- What are ways that I can practically avoid the situation next time? If I punched the wall because I was late to work, would it be wise to plan to leave earlier in the morning? If I find that I'm prone to gossiping when a certain person is around, should I try to avoid that person? There is always more than one response to any situation, but again, the point is to get ourselves thinking about it, becoming aware of the situation. Sometimes a change isn't even necessary, but being aware that the situation is approaching may give us the strength to endure it because we're not just going through the motions any longer.
So I hope this article has been beneficial. I think this is a good, practical way to take an objective look at our life, at our day or week, and begin to analyse the ways that we aren't living for Christ and to use the tools he has given us to counteract those scenarios. I pray that all of you who read this are given the strength to resist sin and flee from any temptation.
In Him,
Mike Senders
