Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Are you reading me?

During a recent sermon, my senior pastor said something obvious but that was so revelatory to me: "As we read the Word of God, the Word of God is also reading us." 

Often than not, I tend to regard reading the Bible as a one-way flow. I read and then I reflect on what I've read. My pastor's comments reminded me that even as I read God's Word, God's Word is also reading me and convicting me through the Holy Spirit so that I am drawn closer and closer to Him. 

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

A life of faith

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
- Charles Thomas Studd


His life
As a British Protestant Christian missionary to China Studd was part of the Cambridge Seven, and later was responsible for setting up the Heart of Africa Mission which became the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade (now WEC International).

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Spiritual red tide in China

Christianity expands turf in Red China

Excerpts:
 ‎"After coming to know God, I now know that someone loves me and that the most important thing in life is not money or success, but the relationships I have with God, my family and friends," Wu says. "I'm not afraid of the future anymore."

"In the past, most of our worshippers were elderly people, women or people in poor health. These days, we are seeing more young people, as well as academics and professionals," he says.

China is one of the world's biggest publishers of the book, with approximately one-fourth of the world's Bibles printed in Nanjing. The Amity Printing Co. Ltd., the only authorized Bible-printing company in China, has turned out more than 90 million copies since it started its presses in 1987.




Thursday, June 23, 2011

Are you guilty of irrational beliefs?

  • I must be outstandingly competent, or I am worthless. 
  • Others must treat me considerately, or they are absolutely rotten. 
  • The world should always give me happiness, or I will die.
  • I am special or I am damned. 
  • I must be loved or cared for. 
  • I must be immortal. 
  • I am either good or bad. 
  • I must prove myself. 
  • I must have everything that I want.

Some Irrational Ideas That Cause and Sustain Neurosis (that is, a source of unhappiness)
(by clinical psychologist Albert Ellis)

1. The idea that it is a dire necessity for adults to be loved by significant others for almost everything they do -- instead of their concentrating on their own self-respect, on winning approval for practical purposes, and on loving rather than on being loved.

2. The idea that certain acts are awful or wicked, and that people who perform such acts should be severely damned -- instead of the idea that certain acts are self-defeating or antisocial, and that people who perform such acts are behaving stupidly, ignorantly, or neurotically, and would be better helped to change. People's poor behaviors do not make them rotten individuals.

3. The idea that it is horrible when things are not the way we like them to be -- instead of the idea that it is too bad, that we would better try to change or control bad conditions so that they become more satisfactory, and, if that is not possible, we had better temporarily accept and gracefully lump their exis tence.

4. The idea that human misery is invariably externally caused and is forced on us by outside people and events -- instead of the idea that neurosis is largely caused by the view that we take of unfortunate conditions.

5. The idea that if something is or may be dangerous or fearsome we should be terribly upset and endlessly obsess about it -- instead of the idea that one would better frankly face it and render it non-dangerous and, when that is not possible, accept the inevitable.

6. The idea that it is easier to avoid than to face life difficulties and self-responsibilities -- instead of the idea that the so-called easy way is usually much harder in the long run.

7. The idea that we absolutely need something other or stronger or greater than ourself on which to rely -- instead of the idea that it is better to take the risks of thinking and acting less dependently.

8. The idea that we should be thoroughly competent, intelligent, and achieving in all possible respects -- instead of the idea that we would better do rather than always need to do well and accept ourself as a quite imperfect creature, who has general human limitations and specific fallibilities.

9. The idea that because something once strongly affected our life, it should indefinitely affect it -- instead of the idea that we can learn from our past experiences but not be overly-attached to or prejudiced by them.

10. The idea that we must have certain and perfect control over things -- instead of the idea that the world is full of probability and chance and that we can still enjoy life despite this.

11. The idea that human happiness can be achieved by inertia and inaction -- instead of the idea that we tend to  be happiest when we are vitally absorbed in creative pursuits, or when we are devoting ourselves to people or projects outside ourselves.

12. The idea that we have virtually no control over our emotions and that we cannot help feeling disturbed about things -- instead of the idea that we have real control over our destructive emotions if we choose to work at changing the musturbatory hypotheses which we often employ to create them.

Do you commonly fall into these thinking traps?

1. Jumping to Conclusions or Ready, Fire, Aim.  Jumping to Conclusions means there is some type of settling on a belief when there is little or no evidence to support it.  You’re probably thinking to yourself, how does this relate to my life as a professional in rehabilitation? 

Example: You send a long email to a colleague in which you describe some challenges you are facing and you ask for this person’s input.  Your colleague sends you a one-sentence reply.  You think to yourself, “This person really just doesn’t care about my situation. He/she only cares about himself or herself.” As you consider this type of example, it’s classic Jumping to Conclusions - that Ready, Fire, Aim. Instead of getting ready, aiming, focusing your beliefs, and then firing, you get that all confused and jump to conclusions. 

2. Tunnel Vision. It’s what we call Forest through the Trees. Tunnel Vision is thinking about less significant details in a situation while screening out the more important aspects. 

Example: You turn in case notes for your supervisor to review. You are quite pleased with your notes because they are detailed and thorough.  However, after turning the notes into your supervisor, you notice that you forgot to include notes on one session with the consumer. You think to yourself, “I blew it; my supervisor will think I did a shoddy job.” This is a classic example of Tunnel Vision - the Forest through the Trees. You are so focused on the one session that was not included in the overall case file, that you can’t see the great job that you did on the case overall. Be aware of the Forest through the Trees and Tunnel Vision.

3. Overgeneralizing, or Character Assassination.  Overgeneralizing is settling on global beliefs about one’s general lack of worth or ability, based on a single adversity.

Example: A consumer you are working with does not follow through on the plans you developed together. You think to yourself, “He or she is simply unmotivated and is clearly not invested in this process.”  This is a classic example of Overgeneralizing and Character Assassination. Is this an example in your process of only one incidence, or does this happen all the time? Is it something that is present always? Be aware of Character Assassination and Overgeneralizing.

4. Magnifying and Minimizing or the Wrong Side of the Binoculars. Magnifying and Minimizing are errors in evaluating events in which the negative aspects of the situation are magnified and the positive aspects of the situation are minimized. 

Example: You give a presentation in a meeting.  One person does not make eye contact with you throughout your presentation.  The others smile, nod, and ask important questions.  You think to yourself, “I must have really blown that.  John was so embarrassed for me he couldn’t even look me in the eye.”  This is an example of Magnifying and Minimizing. In this case, you have completed the presentation and done a really great job. But, you are so focused on the one person that wasn’t making eye contact with you that you can’t see the bigger picture. You are magnifying something that isn’t important and minimizing the overall presentation - Wrong Side of the Binoculars.

5. Personalizing or Me, Me, Me. It’s all about you. Personalizing is the tendency to automatically attribute the cause of an adversity to one’s personal characteristics or actions. 

Example: You have a new consumer that tells you he has been feeling really down and is having a hard time adjusting to all the changes in life.  You think to yourself, “This consumer would be doing so much better if I were more helpful.  I’m just not a good enough rehabilitation professional.”  This is a classic example of Personalizing. You look to yourself first instead of considering the overall situation, both the consumer and yourself, in the rehabilitation process. Watch out for Personalizing. 

6. Externalizing or Them, Them, Them. Externalizing is the tendency to automatically attribute the cause of an adversity to other people or to circumstances.

Example: You’re not closing as many cases as other counselors in your office and you think to yourself, “My caseload is tougher than everyone else’s and it’s just too hard to find employers who are willing to work with me.” This is Externalizing - looking outside of yourself for the cause of this adversity instead of considering the outside, external part, as well as your contribution to the caseload issue. Be aware of Externalizing and Them, Them, Them. It’s not only them, but is it also you?

7. Mind Reading or The Great Waldo. Mind Reading is assuming that you know what another person is thinking or expecting another person to know what you are thinking. 

Example: You see a friend or a colleague laughing with someone else in your office.  When you approach them it feels a little awkward. You think to yourself, “These people are just not glad to see me and they really wish I hadn’t come over.”  This is a classic example of Mind Reading. You don’t know what they are thinking and they don’t know what you are thinking. Don’t be the Great Waldo and be aware of Mind Reading.  Ask questions. Make sure to clarify the situation. Don’t leave it up to Mind Reading.

Be aware of your Thinking Traps.  Are you Jumping to Conclusions - Ready, Fire, Aim? Do you have Tunnel Vision - the Forest through the Trees?  Be aware of Overgeneralizing with Character Assassination.  Are you Magnifying and Minimizing - looking through the wrong side of the binoculars? Also, consider Personalizing.  Are you focusing on yourself? Or, are you focusing on others or Externalizing? Finally, be aware of Mind Reading.  We are not always aware of what is going on with someone else’s mind and people can’t read our thoughts. So we have to communicate effectively.

Thinking Traps are very common mistakes in our beliefs.  We have to be aware that Thinking Traps impact our overall ticker-tape beliefs and our outcomes - both behaviors and emotions. 


Friday, June 17, 2011

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

I slipped in my quiet time over the past few weeks because I was reading books - first, Gideon's Spies; next, A Biography of Cancer; and last, Hard Truths. After finishing the three books, God brought me to Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Pastor Jim Cymbala as a gentle reminder that I've been neglecting my relationship with my Father. 


One of my friends recommended this book to me many years back and I'm reading it only now. She said that it was a life-transforming book for her in that it totally changed her perspective on prayer. She now serves in the intercession ministry. As I read the book, I also pray that the book will do the same for me and that my prayer life will never be the same again. Here are some excerpts and my thoughts on them:


"I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him."


Lord, thank You that You know how weak I am and You love me regardless. Enable me to always have that humility and that honesty to come to you with all my weaknesses and not just my strengths; with all my failures and not just my accomplishments; and with all my tears and not just my joy; with all my pain and not just my pleasures; and with all of me and not just a mask, a facade or a front. For Lord, when I am weak, then I am strong in You. 


"If you and your wife will lead my people to pray and call upon my name, you will never lack for something fresh to preach. I will supply all the money that's needed, both for the church and for your family, and you will never have a building large enough to contain the crowds that I will send in response."


Lord, thank you for reminding me that if we pray and call upon Your name, we will never be in lack. Lord, cement always in me this truth that Lord, You have blessed us to be a blessing to others. Enable me, Lord, to use the gifts that You have blessed me with to bless others and to minister to others, so that Lord, they know You love them. Give me, Lord, an undivided heart so that I may serve you. Give me, Lord, a heart big enough to serve others in humility and in grace and in love. Humble me always, Lord, so that You are glorified.


"A minister said.......You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular a pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night. But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting."


Lord, it is all about You and no one or nothing else. That is the Gospel. Amen.