Negative and Positive
Emotions
By Stephen Terry
All too often the
image of God's followers is like that of the Inquisition. There is no
tolerance for erroneous theology or practice. Any divergence from the
"true faith" produces anger, and so far as is in the power of those
who hold such anger, persecution of the "apostate." There is a certain arrogance in those who claim to know perfectly
God's will for others, let alone claiming such a perfect knowledge of God for
themselves. The appetite to control every aspect of another's life in the
interests of "God's" holy work can be insatiable. No area is
safe. Music, diet, relationships, dress, finances, sexual activity,
sources of information are all controlled by those who see themselves as the
"enlightened." Using verses like Isaiah 58:1, they "Cry
aloud, and spare not" at any divergence from their understanding of God's
will. Their negativity spreads like a cancer through churches and fosters
the same spirit that produced the Inquisition centuries ago.
As one inspired
writer put it: "When he thinks he has detected a flaw in the
character or the life, he is exceedingly zealous in trying to point it out; but
Jesus declares that the very trait of character developed in doing this un-Christlike work, is in comparison with the fault
criticized, as a beam in proportion to a mote. It is one's own lack
of the spirit of forbearance and love that leads him to make a world of an
atom. Those who have never experienced the contrition of an entire surrender to
Christ do not in their life make manifest the softening influence of the
Savior's love. They misrepresent the gentle, courteous spirit of the gospel and
wound precious souls, for whom Christ died. According to the figure that our
Savior uses, he who indulges a censorious spirit is guilty of greater sin than
is the one he accuses, for he not only commits the same sin, but adds to it
conceit and censoriousness." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page
125.
All this
censoriousness creates a negative cycle of emotions that lowers self esteem and
drives people in discouragement away from the Good Shepherd who loves them with
the tenderest compassion. Then those who more
faithfully represent the loving, compassionate character of Christ must travel
to the ends of the earth in search of these lost sheep that others have driven
from the folds. Suffering from the pain of censure and rebuke, these lambs are
not easy to reach. They have been taught by evil misrepresentation to
fear even the loving Shepherd's voice. How much more will they recoil
from the angels and others who might try to reach them. Jesus would hold
them in His loving embrace but they are so wounded by the judgmental
"fruit inspectors" (Matthew 7) that they flee rather than find
comfort in His arms. These self-appointed judges are little more than the
tattle-tales we all knew as children. Pointing out our
sins to hopefully improve their standing with their parents. Most
parents are wise to this by experience, and if they are, God most certainly
is.
Along with their
other duties, even the angels must be burdened with the unenviable task of
trying to comfort those who have been so damaged by these troublers of the
flock. If they could see the compassionate ministry of these heavenly
beings and the work that they must do to undo the damage so carelessly done to
weak and struggling souls, perhaps they would change their ways and follow a
path of love and compassion as opposed to one of judgment and censure.
Trying to play Holy Spirit for some one else is an exhausting spiritual
exercise anyway. It is a burden we were never meant to bear.
Perhaps, if we were to lay this burden at the foot of the cross, we could
enjoy a more abundant and light-hearted life. We would find the emotional
strength to succor and sustain others. We could bring a positive
influence into the world instead of a negative one. After all it is the
Devil and not the Christian who should be known as "the accuser of the
brethren." (Revelation 12:10)
Once we turn from
this kind of relationship to others, our emotional state will improve, our
self-esteem will become healthy, and our relationships will be happier.
We shall become like the good Samaritan. (Luke
10) According to the Jews, the Samaritans were flawed in their theology
and practice. It was felt God would certainly not accept Samaritans who
were so obviously in error. Yet Jesus held this Samaritan up as an
example of how even the Jews should be conducting themselves. Apparently,
love and compassion are trump cards in life. Even the ace of correct
theology can be trumped by the lowly two of compassion. This is the
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