PERSONAL CHANGE AND CHRISTIAN FAITH - INTRINSIC VS EXTRINSIC

Many associate faith in Christ with religion, and view it as a detriment to psychological health, associating it with simplistic thinking, intolerance of diversity, or at best, view faith as irrelevant to real life.  Those who believe in Christ as God’s Son and their source of acceptance and direction from God, may question why their relationship with God doesn’t make the significant difference in their life that they anticipated:  "If God is involved in my life, why do I get depressed, angry, anxious?" What does faith in God have to do with bringing about personal change?

The Bible does not suggest that change can be accomplished by willing it to happen.  On the contrary, Paul the Apostle struggles with the futility of his own will power:  “I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15).  "I can will what is right, but I cannot do it" (Romans 7:18).  One evidence of the reality of sin is this inability to consistently make our intentions reality.  Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, makes some observations about how many people within the church attempt to change undesired behavior patterns:  

"Our ordinary method of dealing with ingrained sin is to launch a frontal attack.  We rely on our willpower and determination.  Whatever the issue for us may be – anger, bitterness, gluttony, pride, sexual lust, alcohol,  fear – we determine never to do it again; we pray against it, fight against it, set our will against it.  But it is all in vain, and we find ourselves once again morally bankrupt or, worse yet … proud of our external righteousness …"

Instead, change results from including more than intention and will power in the process.  We need to give attention to our perspective, mindset, or attitude.  Again according to Paul, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, … to be made new in the attitude of your minds" (Ephesians 4:22-23).  Change is more likely to appear as fruit appears on a tree that is watered, fed, and cared for.  It is the result of paying attention to our emotions, what we focus our minds on, what we invest our time in.

Much of our life is composed of what seems like reflex reactions to situations.  To a great extent, these have been programmed by imperfect sources, such as parents, siblings, spouses, and friends.   Repetitious and emotionally powerful experiences play a role too.  Change involves reflecting on what really motivates us to think, act, and feel as we do.  And if it is our intent to align our lives with Jesus as our model for life, we need to give him opportunity to compete, and perhaps replace, the motives we have been programmed with.  We need repeated, influential experiences with God.  This is less likely to occur if confined only to brief, structured events, such as classes, or emotionally charged worship services.  Knowledge and emotion are valuable gifts, but in themselves are insufficient to provide sustained changes in our character.  

We need to bring God into the chaotic and messy parts of our lives, the daily challenges we face.  Change in our lives requires honesty with ourselves and others.  Clark Barshinger addresses how unconducive the church can be to this process in an article entitled Congruent Spirituality:

"The image of the middle-class church full of smiling-fixated Christians has disillusioned more than one person earnestly seeking God.  They are told to be happy as a witness to God rather than offered a place to truly be themselves.  Rather than finding themselves in an honest encounter with God, they lose themselves in the attempt to become the 'successful' persona the church wants."

Although a lack of genuineness within the church may make honest self-evaluation difficult, change doesn’t happen by fixing blame on others.  Change starts with choosing to be honest with self and with God, and thence with others.  God the Creator is the most powerful agent of change.  It may seem natural to simply ask God to temper our anger or relieve our anxiety.  Maybe the key factor is that we want God to do this for our benefit.  God’s action in creating us and reconciling us through Jesus, demonstrates that we have value and purpose in God’s grand scheme.  God can choose supernatural intervention, but seems to place value in the process of change, while we are often fixated only on the end goal, the finished product.  While God has the ability to act supernaturally, it is not God’s characteristic mode of functioning.  The process of change, though difficult and uncomfortable, may be more important  than the result.  

In some Christian circles, enthusiasm is considered to be the necessary fuel to bring about personal change.  Emotions are a valuable gift, giving color to our lives.  But we can be enthusiastic about anything:  politics, sports, or music.  It is not the essence of faith and does not sustain lasting change.  Genuine faith is the result of our recognition that God is our creator, and that without God we are unable to do what we are created to do.  It generates a desire to fill our minds and experience with the one who created and sustains us.  Out of our experience with God, through prayer, scripture, meditation, and worship, our values, intentions, and ultimately our behavior and emotions, change.  This is considered intrinsic Christianity as opposed to extrinsic Christianity, which focuses on specific behaviors without regard to the internal sources that motivate genuine personal change.  Jesus put it best himself:

   "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)