Lamb Mind

If you decide to follow this blog, what will you have to look forward to? Well, over my lifetime, I have learned by experience that there are some things that really matter. This blog will examine those things through a biblical lens. These are issues, ideas, positions, and information that I feel passionate about and they are issues that often create tension between biblical principles and the world of psychology. There are many issues that the Bible does not speak to directly, however, there is nothing that happens in the world that God created that His principles do not cover. The title ‘Lamb Mind’, and the entire mission statement of this blog, is rooted in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 which says, in part, that believers who have the Spirit have the mind of Christ. Like Paul, I do not intend to persuade anyone with the wisdom of this age, but to rely on the power of the Spirit to declare God’s wisdom. I will include relevant perspectives from secular experts, always supported by biblical principles. Full disclosure, I am a believer, and I believe that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that heals, restores, and creates true and lasting change in our lives. I also believe in being accountable, so for this blog, Dr. Daryl Rahfeldt will be my advisor. As a Bible scholar, he is imminently qualified. He has served as a pastor, which is how I met him, and completed both an M.A. from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. in theology from Marquette with an emphasis on N.T. and biblical studies. If you are interested in my credentials beyond my lived experience, I began my undergraduate degree at the U of A in my early 20’s and then completed a B.A. in Counselling and Ministry many years later at Alberta Bible College. I went on to complete my graduate degree from Providence Theological Seminary where I graduated with an M.A. in Counselling. I am fortunate enough to have had some remarkably gifted teachers and among them was an English teacher in grade 11 who taught me the value of critical thinking. Mr. Drever stressed the importance of having an argument to support my assertions. This has served me well in my life and will build the framework of each blog post. This is not about a place to air my grievances or give unsubstantiated opinions, rather, to start intelligent and informed conversations that explore difficult topics through a biblical lens. In this process, the truth matters. The one theoretical approach to counselling that speaks to me and aligns well, not perfectly, with biblical principles, is attachment theory. Many of the posts, especially the posts that deal with issues in counselling, will incorporate attachment theory in some way. Trauma will be the focus of more than one post and will show up as a recurring theme throughout. The reason for that is that trauma is so prevalent it forces itself into the heart of many conversations. A Taste of Things to Come In mental health therapy, each practitioner has a belief about the cause of problems and how change happens. This forms the basis from which therapists practice and the approaches they choose to use. The Bible must inform this theory for Christian therapists. I’ll expand on my theory of what goes wrong in people’s lives and how change happens based on biblical principles. When I was about 28 years old, I wrote on a small slip of paper, “I would like to be free”. It was a New Years Eve exercise to look at goals for the next year. I didn’t really know what I was asking for, I just knew I wasn’t free. It took many more years to accomplish some semblance of this goal but along the way, I learned a great deal about myself and a great deal about God. What is freedom really and what does it mean to live in freedom? 2 Corinthians 3:17 makes the pronouncement that, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” John 8:36 makes a similar declaration, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Clearly, freedom is important, but do we really understand what it is? Yoda was right when he said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” What do I mean by that? When we conceive of our effort as ‘trying’ the inevitable result is failure. Gabor Maté has a helpful perspective on this. What is a better and more biblical way of framing our effort to change? I often wonder why the principles of hermeneutics are not taught more broadly to believers. Hermeneutics is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially biblical interpretation. Everybody who has ever been to Bible school will likely have taken a course on hermeneutics. Why is this reserved for the few who are fortunate enough to access post-secondary learning? The church is in desperate need of theologically correct teaching. Ephesians 4:11-13 says that the God-given leaders are responsible to equip the saints, but the saints are not being equipped properly and this makes them vulnerable to deception. Covid exposed the extent of this problem when some believers were afraid that the Covid vaccine was the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17). What are the principles of hermeneutics and why is it so important that believers understand them? We don’t always realize what kind of impact we are having on others. Everything we do and say sends a message. What message may you be sending unintentionally? How can we all send better messages with more intention to improve our relationships? Healthy families are the foundation of society. What do children need? We are living in an era with the illusion of extreme connectedness but with no real connection. Believing parents want to provide an environment physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually that honours God, respects their children, recognizes their children’s need for secure attachment, and nurtures a healthy attachment style. Parents have immense power in the developing lives of their children. Among other things, I will examine Daniel Siegel’s 4 S’s of secure attachment as well as the main tenets of the Circle of Security, all through a biblical lens. Science is continually supporting and revealing our intrinsic need for connection to our environment. Doctors in Japan write prescriptions for ‘forest bathing’ because they understand how powerful a connection to nature can be. Canada has followed Japan’s example with the PaRx Prescription for Health program which allows physicians to prescribe time in nature which comes with a free Parks Canada Discovery Pass. It has taken us a long time to realize that a connection to nature is essential for our well-being. It reduces blood pressure and anxiety and has a host of benefits that are realized quickly. Should we be surprised? We are a part of creation! Our soul itself needs to feel connected to all the world that God has made. Scripture tells us that God is revealed in the physical world, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that humans are without excuse”. Anxiety has become ubiquitous in our culture and the number of people, including children, suffering from anxiety and depression is alarming. Whether it is called anxiety or worry, it is all a form of fear. Much of anxiety is driven by a fear of how others see us and may judge us. The Bible tells us repeatedly to ‘Fear not’, probably because God knows how prone we are to fear. What can be done to alleviate some of this suffering? Anger and conflict are inevitable and are inextricably connected. The church struggles to teach about anger and how to engage in conflict constructively. Perhaps the most known scripture on anger and conflict is Ephesians 4:26-27 which says, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity”. Almost everything you need to know about anger and conflict is contained in this passage. You have probably heard the term ‘emotional regulation’. This scripture contains the definition of emotional regulation. How can I feel a difficult feeling, and not behave badly? I will attempt to unpack all of that. The last thing for today is Galatians 5:22-23, the passage on the Fruit of the Spirit. It is one of my favorite passages in the Bible, applicable to every human interaction, and will feature prominently in this blog. I look forward to meeting with you each month! Let God be glorified. In Christ, Andrea