P e o p l e h a v e o f t e n t u r n e d t o m e as a counselor because their pastor had upset them. Having lis tened to him preach about sin, they felt guilty and inadequate. It seemed to them they were much happier people before they began attending church and studying the Bible! Therefore would it not be reasonable to con clude that their problem was caused by what they heard and read? To remove the cause would seem to relieve the person from his anxiety. This has long been advocated. There is widespread pressure on ministers to preach “ positive” messages and to emphasize what is good in man. Wait just a minute, though. Perhaps a look at the methods of other professions may help you un derstand the value of pointing out the “bad,” the evil, the negative. Consider the approach of the dentist. Recently my dentist examined my teeth. He chatted amiably throughout the examination. He made some X rays. I can still see him holding his picture up to the light and saying, “There is a cavity, and there is one, and there is another. You have three cavities.” How negative can you get? He did not even mention the good teeth. Then he prepared to stick a long needle into my gums—not a pleasant experience at all. The drill ing was no picnic, either. In fact, there is- nothing about going to a dentist that I like. It makes me a bit anxious to think about going, and decidedly an noyed when his bill comes. But we all go to dentists to find out if we have any cavities. We respect this man who subjects us only to discomfort. Why? Surely not because o f the process. It is the results we are after. He could give us some medicine that would cut the pain of a decaying tooth. The medi cine would make us feel comfortable as long as its effect remained. But unless the dentist got to the source of the problem, the decay would continue and some day the pain would be even worse. Look at the physician. As he diagnoses you, he has only one basic question: “What is wrong?” This is certainly a “negative” approach. If you have an infected fingernail and the rest of you is healthy, he concentrates on the fingernail. If you have a pain
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When the Holy Spirit gives ns a picture of ourselves, we may not be elated; but unless we acknotvledge our faults, we can’t have mental peace.
AUGUST, 1968
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