What principle here could help you free the church for a wider mission?

Each person has a vital part to play in the life of the church.  If you are in a position of leadership and find yourself over-whelmed by responsibilities, determine your God-given abilities and priorities and then find others to help.  If you are not in leadership, you have gifts that can be used by God in various areas of the church's ministry.  Offer these gifts in service to him!

People who carry heavy responsibilities and work closely with others should be full of the Spirit and wisdom.  We must look for spiritually mature and wise men and women to lead our churches.

The ministry of the Word should never be neglected because of administrative burdens.  pastors should not try, or be expected to try to do everything.  Instead, the work of the church should be spread out among it's members.

Jesus as a leader was: Compassionate, Healer, Just and good, Servant, and King over all creation.

Qualities of good leadership                        Proverbs

1. Diligence                                             12:24

2. Trustworthy messengers                        13:17

3. Don't penalize people for integrity   17:26

4. Listen before answering                  18:13

5. Able to discern                               18:15

6. Listen to both sides of the story  18:17

7. Able to stand up under adversity  24:10

8. Able to stand up under praise      27:21

lead-In

Shalom.  Have you ever noticed that no matter how much you possess, something always seems to be missing?  God's response to that frustrating human condition is his offer of wholeness.  Jesus said that he came so that we might have life and have it "over-abundantly,"  and to help others do the same.

In this lesson we will discuss and experience wholeness.  We will look at ourselves to discover some of the blocks keeping us from wholeness.  We will learn to minister holistically to others.  We will ask for and experience God's help to these things.

Providing for the Whole Person

Jesus Christ taught and practiced a holistic approach 2000 years ago.  Earlier, the Old Testament writers emphasized the unity of the person.

Holism and the Old Testament

Old Testament writers continually present a holistic view of the human being.  The Hebrew understanding sees the person as a total being, without soul-mind-body divisions.

Creation

The account of Adam's creation is a good example of holism in the Old Testament.  Genesis 2 states that God created Adam, forming him from dust.  God then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam "became a living being" (Gen 2:7).  It also shows that the first person really was incomplete until the physical element was united with the breath of God.

Brokenness and Healing

In the Old Testament the person was viewed as a whole.  Brokenness for the Hebrews meant spiritual, emotional, and physical brokenness all at once.    The cause and result of all such brokenness was a broken relationship with God.  Before healing could take place, the relationship with God had to be restored, or made whole.  When the Hebrews were healed, they were made whole.  There were no separate cures for the physical, spiritual, and emotional.  Health was a divine, holistic gift.

Peace

The concept of peace provides even more insight into the Old Testament's holistic view.  Peace conveyed the idea of wholeness in relationships, health, welfare, prosperity, and spirit--all of them.  The Hebrew word shalom, used by Jews and adopted by many others today as a greeting, means "peace be with you" and is used for both "hello" and "good-bye."  It connotes completeness.  Old Testament peace occurred when things were as they should be in the eyes of God and in the world.  The peaceful life is life as it was when God created the world, life in the Garden of Eden.  There no barriers existed between God and people: complete harmony existed in every aspect of life.  When you greet another with "shalom<" you convey a blessing for a continued holistic life.

Holism in the New Testament

Jesus' Words

Jesus teaches a holistic approach to our relationships with God and others.  Central to Jesus' teachings is love, which is to characterize all interactions.  This love is not merely physical or emotional; it completely embraces the whole person.

Jesus teaches, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37.  Jesus teaching about love for God suggests complete devotion.  Jesus breaks away from any distinctions in a person's nature, calling for complete, holistic dedication to God. 

 Jesus also teaches that relationships with others need to be holistic.  Following the great commandment to love God with our whole being.  Jesus says that we should love others as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:39).  We can have holistic love for ourselves.  We don't need to separate love for our spirits from love for our bodies.  We don't need to separate love for our social being from love for our emotional being.  We love our whole person.

Following Jesus' teaching involves meeting people where they are and treating them as Jesus Christ himself:  feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, comforting the sick and visiting the imprisoned (Matt. 25:35-38).  The parable of the good Samaritan emphasizes this concretely (Luke 10:29-37)/  The Samaritan first met the victim's immediate needs.  Next, he took care of the man's future needs, providing him a place to stay and someone to take care of him.  Such care is holistic because it meets the needs of the whole person.

Jesus' Actions

Jesus practiced what he preached, providing holistic care for all people.  Hemet people at the point of their special needs, including their spiritual needs, because they were one and the same.  On the way to raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead, a woman who suffered from severe bleeding for 12 years touched Jesus' robe.  Instantly she was healed.  In one action Jesus met both the needs of her body and her spirit.  Her physical healing was stopping her flow of blood, and her spiritual healing was the gift of faith (Luke 8:43-48).

"A similar incident occurred when a paralyzed man was lowered through the roof into the room where Jesus was teaching Jesus made the man spiritually whole by forgiving his sins and physically whole by healing his paralysis (Mark 2:1-12).  In John 7:23 reference is made to Jesus' holos healing of a man on the Sabbath day.  The use of holos with the noun hygies, meaning "healing" or "soundness" indicates that Jesus healings are complete, permeating the entire person" (Christian Caregiving-Kenneth C. Haugk).

Many other actions of Jesus were holistic, each  making a less-than-perfect person or situation whole.  The feeding of the 5000, the healing of the 10 lepers, and the stilling of the storm are three examples.  Even on the cross, suffering with a crown of thorns on his head, nails piercing his hands and feet, and the crown mocking him, Jesus holistically reached out to touch his mother's brokenness by providing for her present and future needs (John 19:17-42).

Salvation in the New Testament

"The salvation that Jesus brings to the world is his ultimate act of holism.  Sin resulted in brokenness and separation from God.  Fragmentation destroys families, friendships, and individuals.  We erect walls that alienate ourselves from others and seal off hopes for reconciliation.  Into the shattered remains of God's perfect creation comes the message that Jesus Christ brings the gift of wholeness to anyone able to accept it.  It  is the gift of salvation won by Christ's death and resurrection and received through faith that has torn down the separating wall of sin and restored our relationship with God.  The Greek word for "to save" (sodzo) also means "to heal" and "to make whole."  It is a gift of life offering to make people whole forever, beginning right now.  It is this salvation, this healing, that takes broken, shattered lives and recreates them infinitely "Better than now" (Christian Caregiving - Kenneth C. Haugk).

Overabundance

Jesus abundantly offers wholeness to our world.  In John 10:10, he says, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."   

Diagnose the Problem but Treat the Whole Person

Perhaps the greatest danger confronting those of you who want to help people is that you leap to conclusions as to what people's problems are before you have given them an adequate chance to get to the bottom of their troubles.

In the first phase of training, the exploratory phase, you as trainer-Leader, are trying to get a handle on what the issue really is.  Our tendency is to isolate the spiritual problem-whatever it may be-nailing it to the floor with a Bible verse or two when, actually,  the problem is a combination of the emotional, the easier if we could really deduce that all the problems requiring training to cope with were spiritual in nature and find Bible verses to neutralize the acid of discontent.

Consequently, we tend to put life in neat little boxes which we label as "emotional problems," "Physical problems," or "spiritual problems."  One of the first things you must learn, however, is that when someone suffers, though the first things you must learn, however, is that when someone suffers, though the primary cause may be more directly related to a particular one of these three areas, all three are going to be affected.

Diagnosing the Physical

A wise leader works in cooperation with medical science.

How do you know when a problem may have physical roots?  Much of the time you quickly identify mood changes, depression, exhaustion, or boredom.  The individual seems to be on good speaking terms with God.  You can't really see a spiritual conflict; you can't see any root problems which are emotionally caused.  The individual is not in conflict with anybody.  He seems to like his job.  He doesn't feel trapped in a hopeless situation, such as working for someone he doesn't like and not wanting to quit for fear of not getting another job.  You can suppose that there may be a physical problem resulting in these mood shifts.

"How long has it been since you have had a complete physical?" should be asked.  And the usual reply is, "I don't remember, but a long time."

"O.K., before we get together again, I want you to go see your doctor, and I especially want him to check your blood sugar."

Why?  Your diet and your blood sugar affect your emotions and your moods.  For example, hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, may produce lethargy and even depression.  Or a husband's inability to function sexuality may not be emotional; it may be the result of sugar diabetes which has been undiagnosed and untreated.

Telling people that God loves them and has a plan for their lives is good, but what they sometimes need is to realize part of that plan is to let the doctor show them the physical problems and how to deal with them.

When you hurt physically, your spiritual life is also affected.  The life of Elijah demonstrates forcibly that even spiritual giants get tired and discouraged and feel like quitting when they are exhausted physically.  That's something we often forget.

The story of Elijah's confrontation with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal is the stuff that missionaries like to put in their prayer letters.  Tremendous victory!  Fire from heaven falls and vindicates the lone prophet of God.  Even Lee Iacocca, who turned Chrysler around, couldn't brag about about one like that.  It was definitely a win-win situation.  But the next morning Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them, by tomorrow about this time" (1 Kings 19:2).  Suddenly, Elijah's sky turned gray, and the man of God turned and ran for his life.  Is this the spiritual giant who prayed down fire from heaven and single-handedly withstood the hundreds of false prophets?  A giant, or a gnat who flees?

Same man, all right, but one who was physically and emotionally exhausted.  "Elijah was a man just like us," says James (5:17), and in that statement there is a tremendous insight.  You aren't an iron man or an Amazonian woman!  When you are physically exhausted, your emotional outlook and your relationship with God will be affected, which is why James instructed us to "pray for one another" (5:16).  It happened to Elijah along with scores of other biblical greats,  and you must understand what's happening when you are affected the same way.

Diagnosing the Spiritual

Dr. Paul Dubois, a psychotherapist, says, "Religious faith is the best powerful medicine we have ever discovered for curing them."

Disciplines that fail to recognize the essential spiritual nature of mankind are bound to be impotent when it comes to treating the maladies of the spirit.  When we have stepped outside of the will of God, we have a spiritual problem.  The answer is to deal with what it really is - sin, and get back into harmony with the will of the Father.

Jonah, the prophet, has been reproduced in the lives of millions of men and women who want to church as children but "outgrew" their faith in their teen years or in college.  The turned their backs on God and lived as though there were no God, no accountability, or no eternal hereafter.

Dealing gently but insistently with people as you help them gain God's perspective during phase one, opens the door for the person to evaluate the options in phase two, and then turn the corner spiritually in phase three, choosing the path of God's will.

Undiagnosed and ignored, spiritual afflictions result in a great deal of emotional suffering and even physical pain for people.  The apostle Paul recognized this in the Corinthian church:;"  ...many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (are dead)" (1 Cor. 11:30).

Dr. Jack Kelly, one of Scotland's finest cardiologist,, was once talking about the emotional and spiritual needs of people.  He related how on one occasion, he had been asked to examine a patient who was suffering with "heart pains."  He found no physical malady.  Being a dedicated believer, however, he began to question his patient further, only to discover that the patient had recently returned from Paris and was suffering an acute case of guilt because of sexual misconduct.  Although most cardiologists' skills run out when the electrocardiogram looks normal, Jack Kelly knew how to treat both problems.

The answer to spiritual guilt lies in applying the resources of forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ, a solution which you can prescribe freely as a layman.

Guiding a person into the will of God means "deprogramming" a lot of the ideas which have permeated our society, such as:

In a secular world believers are bombarded by philosophies and ideologies which run counter to God's plan and purpose for their lives.  At the same time, our earthly nature constantly wars against God's plan for our lives.

If the person who came to you for help fully saw this and understood the implications of his past actions, he or she probably would not be faced with the present difficulties.  Recognizing the cause, however, will help him arrive at a solution.

Another failure resulting in improper diagnosis is not hearing what the person you are training is really saying.  Your communication skills are important, and if there are lacking, you can develop them.  Obviously, you can't be listening at the same time your mind is going ahead of what the person is saying.  Neither can you listen very well if you are thinking about the responsibilities you carry and how you really ought to be doing something other than listening to the person who hurts.

Take time,  listen, ray, and evaluate, and only then will you be ready to respond to the question, "What do you think I should do?"

Pitfalls in Being Holistic

When holism is misunderstood or misapplied, difficulties can arise for both the trainer and the training receiver.  These pitfalls need to be avoided so as not to short-circuit the training relationship.

The Splitting Pitfall

This pitfall is encountered when a trainer attempts to split apart the person receiving training.  For example, a trainer who treats the spiritual separately from the physical and the emotional, has stumbled into this pitfall.  An example is the trainer who keeps all Scripture, prayer, and talk about God separated from the training receiver's personal problems.  When this occurs, the spiritual has been split apart from the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of the person.  As trainer we can also stumble into this splitting pitfalls in dealing with ourselves.  We can compartmentalize the various aspects of our personhood.  For instance, at one time we might let emotions dominate our behavior when we are extremely angry.  At another time, we might let the spiritual part of us dominate, while suppressing physical or emotional needs.  A holistic perspective unites all aspects of the person, while neither denying part of self nor artificially emphasizing some aspect of self.

The Ranking Pitfall

This includes the compartmentalized approach, but also involves setting the compartments against one another by ranking them.  The tendency for us Christians might be to rank the spiritual nature over the mental, emotional, social, and physical.  To call this ranking a pitfall is not to say that being spiritual is in any way wrong, since God wants your relationship with him to be foremost in your life.  But we also need to remember that God does not simply want your spiritual self.  He wants your heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5).  God wants your whole person because we are whole persons, not parts that rank one over the other.

The Perfectionistic Pitfall

The perfectionistist pitfall is the most pernicious of all for Christians.  Concentrating on the way life ought to be, we may continually strive for perfection.  We might try to be all things to all people.  We may want to be the infallible spouse, friend, neighbor, employer, employee, church member, or Christian trainer.  Many of us are seduced by perfectionism-seduced into thinking that since we ought to be perfect, we therefore can be perfect.  perfectionism then becomes the driving force in our lives.

As a Christian trainer you need to realize that you cannot be all things to all people.  Perfection is impossible.  You are probably not a combined physician, business person, psychologist, teacher, farmer, provider of every need all wrapped up into one.  Neither can you be a perfect trainer.  Thinking along these lines all too easily leads to the perfectionist trap.  Caught in the impossible mission of trying to make every aspect of your person and vocation perfect, you become dejected - even burned out - in your training and relating.

The Self-Punitive Pitfall

There is no question that holistic thinking and treatment is therapeutic.  Holistic treatment is successful.  Its benefits are obvious.  Because of its positive effect, some holistically oriented caregivers feel a tremendous responsibility for their own continued health and healing.  Since they take the holistic approach seriously, they know that their own physical health is largely under their control.  Therefore, when a disease like cancer strikes, there is the tendency to blame themselves for failing to be in touch with their whole person, for having too much stress, or for exposing themselves to carcinogens.  And if healing does not take place, there is a further tendency to blame themselves for not holistically effecting a cure.  This results in self blame and guilt.  These people become victims of the self-punitive pitfall.

It is important to understand the grace of God and the concept of forgiveness.  When Christians stand under this comforting blanket, freely given to them out of love, the Christ of the cross shoulders the pain, the responsibility, and the consequences of the pitfall.  Christians are free to live train, and be trained holistically.

Christian Training is Holistic

It ought to be clear by now that a Christian must be holistic.  The Christian trainer follows the example of Christ, who was holistic as he ministered to others.

A Christian training relationship meets people at the point of their unique needs, just as Christ himself did.  A holistic Christian leader would not provide what would be considered spiritual care alone to someone in desperate need of food or water.  Here, a specifically physical need, rather than a traditionally spiritual need must be satisfied immediately.

tian training relationship touches the whole person.  It is not limited to the physical, or the mental, or the social, or the emotional, or the spiritual.  Christian trainers follow the example of Jesus Christ and cannot avoid being holistic to the best of their abilities.  Christian trainers understand that the whole person needs ministry.  Christian trainers understand that the whole person needs ministry.  Christian trainers realize that some needs are more immediately compelling than others.  Christian leaders know that God alone is the one who takes broken individuals and makes them  whole.

Homework Questions/Exercises

1.  What do you understand "holism" to be?

2.  What do you think about the Hebrew idea that all brokenness in our lives is the result of a broken relationship with God?

3.  People who let physical needs and desires dominate their lives are fairly obvious.  Can you describe someone who lets the intellectual part dominate?  The social part?  The emotional part?  The spiritual part?

4.  Have you ever fallen into one of the "Pitfalls in being holistic" in your relating with someone?  What happened to that training relationship?

5.  What are some examples of how you could train the needy in your community, nation, and world in a holistic manner?

6.  Broken/Whole - 25-30 minutes.
Take about five minutes each to share two things:
1.  Examples of wholeness in your life.
2.  Examples of brokenness in your life.

7.  Causes and Effects 10-12 minutes
Share a physical problem you are experiencing now, or have experienced in the past.  Then I want you to explore the question of how other persons affliction might have emotional and spiritual effects or even causes.  For example, you might suffer from chronic lower back pain.  Could there be any relationship between your back pain and the anger you feel towards your children, but don't express?  Could both the back pain and the anger be related in turn to a struggle with keeping Christ at the center of your life?  Any questions about what we're doing?  take about five minutes to explore other person's problem.  Go ahead."

8.  Strengths/Weaknesses - Time 10 minutes

Take about two minutes to tell the things you do best."
"For the next four minutes, share those things you do worst.  Take four minutes."

9.  Finally, close your time together with prayer for your class, thanking God for your classes strengths and weaknesses and for the overall wholeness God has given your class.