A Journey to emotional Healing

Transcription

1 MODULE #15 Theotherapy BEYOND HEALING TO MATURITY. 1. WHAT COMES AFTER HEALING? A. We must proceed to develop a Christian CHARACTER. 1. Paul expressed it this way in Philippians 3:12 (NIV): Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which CHRIST JESUS took hold of me. 2. The true goal of every person who is undergoing healing is to proceed to develop his/her CHARACTER to be like Jesus. 3. The real foundation of such character is LOVE: a. Love for GOD b. Love for OTHERS c. Love for SELF 4. We need to emphasize that love is of the SPIRIT. B. We continue to move towards recovery, that is, the RESTORATION of our souls. 1. Recovery must be looked at as an ongoing PROCESS, as Philippians 3:12 clearly points out. In this process we begin to look more and more like JESUS. 1

2 2. Maturity manifests itself through a high level of TOLERANCE for frustration, and through loving what was once unlovable. 3. Love is the BASIC foundation for Christian character. Always remember that LOVE leads us to wholesome character. Love is that which leads us further into MATURITY. 4. It is as the infant senses the unconditional LOVE of significant adults that he develops a SENSE of security. 5. A wounded person receives healing through THEOTHERAPY (God s healing) and then must move on to become the kind of Christian person GOD wants. C. How is this growth accomplished? 1. As the person is deeply embedded in the WORD of GOD his faith in Jesus Christ becomes strengthened and his love for GOD, OTHERS, and SELF becomes more real. 2. We must distinguish between developmental STAGES and maturity. They are two different concepts. All of us go through different stages. a. Baby-hood b. Infancy c. Childhood d. Pre-adolescence e. Young adulthood f. Adulthood, etc. 3. Rev. Mario Rivera Mendez has said, Maturity is the development of good judgment and prudence. Thus a five-year-old may be a mature five-year-old as well as a twenty-one-year-old may be an immature twenty-one-year-old. 2

3 The above section of this lesson was from edited notes by Dr. Mario Rivera Mendez. 2. WALKING IN MATURITY: HEALING IS NOT THE GOAL When we have been deeply wounded, we will not know who we were designed to be. That is why we must EMBRACE our own journey of healing. (See Psalm 84:5-7). A. Healing is a lifelong process 1. We will go from strength to STRENGTH. 2. The children of Israel ran the enemy out little by little so that they could be strong enough to maintain their victory and keep the wild beasts out. It was a PROCESS and involved a continued commitment. God told them to occupy. 3. In the world we will have tribulation that goes with the territory. Learning to embrace tribulation as a part of healing (Valley of Baca or weeping ) is a healthy and mature response. B. We must remember that just getting rid of the PAIN is not the goal either. 1. The Lord by His mercy allows the pain to be there so that we look to HIM for help. 2. We learn obedience through the things we suffer. (Hebrews 5:8 says that about Jesus Christ s own example of suffering.) 3. THE GOAL IS TO BE LIKE JESUS A. The development of Christian character 3

4 1. The EGO must be strengthened in order to be replaced. He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30, NIV) 2. Abiding in Jesus (bonding to Jesus) produces FRUIT that remains. (John 15:16, KJV) B. That we may fulfill the greatest commandment 1. To love God 2. To love others 3. To love self C. What is love? (See 1 Corinthians 13) 1. Love is patient. 2. Love is kind. 3. Love does not envy. 4. Loves does not boast. 5. Love is not proud. 6. Love is not rude. 7. Love is not self-seeking. 8. Love is not easily angered. 9. Love keeps no record of wrongs. 10. Loves does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. 11. Love always protects. 12. Love always trusts. 13. Love always perseveres. 14. Love never fails. D. Loving God 1. Not serving idols: As we MATURE we will see God and ourselves more clearly. By His GRACE the Lord reveals Himself and He reveals the idols that we have served (parents, fear, anything that stands between us and GOD), allowing us to repent. 4

5 2. Those who are forgiven much LOVE much. We love Him because He first loved us. (see Luke 7:47; 1 John 4:19) E. Loving our neighbor 1. Loving our neighbor is a natural response as we allow God to reveal and heal our places of wounding. F. Loving self 2. We can GIVE what we have received. 3. We seek the highest good of others. 1. To love ourselves correctly we must see ourselves as GOD sees us: a. as His CHILD b. as His BRIDE c. as His FRIEND 2. We know that we are loved by Him; however, we are dust. (see Psalms 103:13, 14) a. Not threatened b. Able to give and receive 3. Loving ourselves rightly is a true mark of maturity. MATURITY IS THE INTERGRATION OF SPRIRT, SOUL AND BODY. 5

6 Name: Lesson Number: (15) Beyond healing to Maturity Date: STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. What does it mean to you to develop the character of Christ? 2. What is the goal of healing? 3. What would maturity look like in your life? 6

7 4. In what area(s) do you not feel you are walking like Jesus? COMMENTS OR CONCERNS: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS OF CONCERNS: Upon completion of these study questions please mail them to: Marcus Odom, GLF-President RMSI / / 6B-109 Nashville, Tennessee