Introduction:
There is an old familiar song that often pops up in my mind as I go about my daily activities. It does not matter what is going on in my life or what mood I am in, it always seems to have a special meaning to suit the occasion. It encourages me; it comforts me; and on this occasion, it inspired me to share a message with others. The song is, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, written by Joseph M. Scriven. The first verse of the song reads thusly:
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear
And what a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.
The first four lines of the song tells us that we have a friend whose name is Jesus. This friend is able and willing to relieve us of the problems that life sends our way. All we have to do is take our sins and grief to Him in prayer. . But the next four lines tell us that in spite of the fact that we know we have this friend who is willing to bear our sins and grief for us, we do not carry everything to Him in prayer. We refuse to exercise the privilege we have as Christians, and we continue to do things our way — while forfeiting our peace and experiencing needless pain. The problem described in this song is not unique to a small group of people, but rather, it describes a common problem that exists among all human beings. We can know what to do to bring relief to our problems and conflicts, but something within us prevents us from taking action in that direction. We hear folks say, “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there,” and we can read in the Bible, “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you”(1 Peter 5:7); but we do not seem to believe that — we never get around to doing it. Why is this so? Why are we so helpless against ourselves? Why Am I My Own Worst Enemy? Perhaps, reflecting on what we know about conflict in literary characters can provide a clue to help us understand why we can be our own worst enemy. There are five sources of conflict identified in stories. They are: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self, and Man vs. Technology. Among the five sources, Man vs Self is the most difficult to resolve. Man does not mind fighting against those other sources, but he resists fighting against himself. Hence, there is a great deal of difficulty in solving internal problems. And furthermore, dramatic characters have what is called a tragic flaw — something that if not solved will ultimately lead to his downfall. The kind of interplay described here reminds me of what goes on in real life situations. Spiritual growth poses a similar challenge to man. It is something he has to come to grips with internally. This is the last thing he wants to deal with. Most times he refuses to see his attitude and /or behavior as possibly his problem. He blames others and circumstances in his environment for the conflicts and turmoil in his life. Anyone …show more content…
Some examples are:
• The Doctrine of Total Depravity is a theological doctrine derived from the Augustinian concept of original sin where it is believed that every person born in the world is enslaved to the service of sin as a result of their fallen nature and, apart from the efficacious or prevenient grace of God, is utterly unable to choose to follow God, refrain from evil, or accept the gift of salvation as it is offered.
• Dr. J. P. Moreland’s “empty self” syndrome says that man has a set of values, motives, and habits of thought, feelings, and behaviors that pervert and eliminates the life of the mind and make maturation in the way of Christ extremely difficult. He gives seven traits that undermine intellectual growth and spiritual development.
• In the psychological dimension, the Freudian theory of human nature says: “The human is ‘nothing but” a being driven by instinct or, more precisely, by the conflicting claims of id and superego finding an uneasy truce in the