Living into Freedom

I’ve been doing some reading for my spiritual formation doctorate program about how to walk alongside communities of faith. The books span across a range of theological understandings and disciplines, such as theology, sociology, and psychology. I am finding that I am resistant to the traditional models presented. I think part of that is due to my own journey toward wholeness and my prior understandings.

For example, most of my life, I have forced myself to meet the expectations of others. I have grown to understand that complying was part of being responsible and a “good Christian.” Through the last few years, I have been on the journey of noticing when I am forcing myself and then following the invitation of healing and wholeness with gentleness and grace.
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When I notice my tendency to force myself to fit in or “do right,” I stop and listen to what is going on internally for me. In doing so, I listen to my desires and woundings to discover the way forward. Listening deeply to my soul requires intentionality. David Benner defines our soul as the reflective space where we make meaning of our experience from the events throughout our lives. Using his psychological lens, he further defines both our soul and spirit as ways of living instead of as traditionally understood as parts of ourselves. [1]

An essential component in this journey is our tendency for self-deception. The truth is every one of us shares this same struggle, and we are unaware. The Johari window is a means of communicating that struggle visually. It illustrates our inner selves as being divided into four parts. One part we know and so do others, this would be our most visible part. One part we know but we do not let others see our private world. Others can see one part, but we are not aware of its hidden aspects inside ourselves. The last part is unknown to both us and others.

Spiritual writers would use the language of false self and true self. A greater self-awareness allows us to know our own tendency toward self-deception. As we continue to build up what we “should” be like, we tend not to notice our own actions or our motivations. At times, we may choose to not be aware of our internal workings but often we do not know how to live any differently and remain unaware.

For example, let’s consider the practice of gratefulness. If someone from my spiritual direction practice came in and spoke about being restless or discontent, I would not encourage a practice of gratefulness. That would devalue what was going on internally for them. If someone felt restless or dissatisfied, I would wonder what is underneath those feelings. What is the invitation for them?

Often, these seemingly negative feelings are an invitation to greater freedom in our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. I would encourage someone meeting with me to share more about their struggles. I might even walk them through a healing prayer where they take their feelings or an image that represents that feeling to God to discover God’s view. It is in a place of non-judgment where we can begin to understand what is going on inside of ourselves and to begin to see our own belovedness in God’s gaze. I trust God to meet each of us in our struggles. Through our experience of being met by God, we can realize all of us belongs in God’s intimate gaze.   

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I would say that the practice of gratefulness would only enforce our false self. Experiencing God meeting us in our ungratefulness, discontentment, or restlessness, allows healing, integrating our false self and true self. I’ve seen experiences like this bring peace to people, and their presenting problem falls away to a greater understanding and a deeper intimacy with God.

Often, the lies we believe in our core are replaced with a core truth, bringing gratefulness that arises organically within and can’t help but be expressed externally toward others. We don’t have to act it out when we don’t feel the truth of it – being grateful when all we want to do is complain because of pain, hurt, or a core lie we have held for our lifetime.

Practicing gratefulness isn’t the problem but pretending to be grateful when all we feel is discontent isn’t helpful. We do not need to “fake it till we make it.” When we discover ourselves as restless and ungrateful, a practice we can embrace, instead of complaining, is first to notice what is going on in our hearts without judgment. Non-judgment means not assigning a value of good or bad to our noticings. Once we notice, we can listen with God about what is going on in our soul and allow God to show God’s view. As we experience the grace and gentleness of God, we can encourage others in this open, gentle, and compassionate way.
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[1] David G Benner, Spirituality and The Awakening Self: The Sacred Journey of Transformation (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2012), 121, 137.

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