Psycho-babble And The Christian Mind

They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

Ephesians 4:18

I was waiting patiently for my eye appointment when he walked out the front door of the office and immediately and loudly said, "&#!&#! That ain't gonna work!"  He turned around back into the tiny waiting room, quickly made his way to the window and asked for some of those "shade things" to put over his glasses. The doctor had dilated his eyes, the sun was bright, and there was apparently a direct connection between his retina and the off-color language center of his brain.

I think I'm safe in saying that most people think that most of what they say and read makes sense. The words they live by seem rational, plausible, workable, and full of wisdom. In their eyes these words to live by look good, they're even comfortable. Here are a few examples.

"There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person being themselves. Imagine going through your day being unapologetically you." (Steve Maraboli) "When you undervalue who you are, the world will undervalue who you are."  (Oprah Winfrey)

If Steve Maraboli is right, then you are the answer to all your problems. All you have to be is you, perfectly you, and all will be well. That's contrary to the purpose of Christ. He came, lived, died, and rose again to deliver us from us.  If Oprah is right, then our entire existence is based on our valuation of ourselves. If she's right, then when we finally value ourselves as valuably as we should, everyone else will, too. Look, there are so many things wrong with this that it's hard to narrow it down.

I'm not picking on Oprah, but she says so much that is out of line with what God says, as in "Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher." That sounds really good, especially since God says bad company corrupts good morals. But, every time I read this quote or one like it, I think about Jesus. I am so glad that he did not only surround himself with people who were going to take him higher. If Jesus followed this saying, none of us would ever get to be with him. How could we possibly fulfill the Great Commission if we never spend time with lost people who are still living in sin?

I write stuff, and I read stuff, and I post pithy sayings from Christian authors, theologians, and others, but every time I do I ask, "does this line up with an orthodox interpretation of God's Word?" I do that, because I don't want to one day be blinded by the light as my fellow eye clinic friend was. Life is too important to live by psycho-babble. Live it BY the word of God. To do that, you have to spend time IN the word rather than in the world of psycho-babble.