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EMOTIONAL OPPRESSION — The Reality and Nature of Emotional Transformation Blockages

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AUTO RESPONSE SYSTEMS

For many of us, the vehicle of our life has been stalled or stuck because of road blocks constructed out of sin, offenses, abuses and oppression. Many of these blockages have been buried long ago and become part of an automatic emotional response system. As you emote and encounter conflicts from these broken areas you can become very confusing to those who are close to you. As this type of response system continues, dysfunction as a coping process becomes embedded and established in your relational spheres.

Have you ever had an interaction where you found yourself thinking afterwards "Where did that come from?" I remember one such discussion with my dad. Some friends of mine had some chickens with a strange habit. When the chickens finished eating their grain, they started attacking each other. I asked my dad, who had run his own chicken hatchery about this; I also passed along the diagnostic opinion of their neighbor as well. Without warning, my father exploded "Are you going to believe that bum or someone who has a bachelors degree in animal husbandry"? I went away stunned. I thought Dad would be happy to discuss a farm topic but somehow in the mix I had stepped on a trip wire that had been set a long time before. I can only guess that when I crossed this wire it sent the message to my dad that his qualified opinion was deficient and to be passed over in preference to a home remedy. This is an example of the ghosts that rise up out of the past when people vent their anger and frustration on whoever is handy and happens to be in a less powerful position at the present time.

People are often reacting out of old wounds that are still just as tender as fresh open sores. In the body of Christ, God never intended for us to keep those wounds forever. He's provided ways to bring healing in order to begin forward motion again.


EMOTIONAL LOAD BEARING

If we were to consider an individual life as a perpetually accumulating entity, as that life goes on, more critical mass is added to the tonnage of their human experience. Although the weight of the actual person may be only 140 pounds, the critical mass of their experience continues to accumulate as more “emotional tonnage”. As this develops, the physics of motion is added to the equation and the life heads off in a certain direction. In many lives a momentum is established that is difficult to steer and impossible to slow down. They can then reach a point where they are no longer under control and the perpetual momentum of their experience is causing them to veer dangerously close to reckless life situations. They have no idea how to get themselves under control. In the meantime, they are clipping and in some cases, running down many innocent bystanders within their life sphere.


STASIS AND COPING SYSTEMS

For many there is a significant problem of stasis, or “grinding to a halt" in the transformation process. The definition of stasis in this sense is "stoppage" or a constricting blockage in the process. Opposing forces have inserted themselves like a strong contrary current or buffeting wind to come against and bring to a complete halt, any further progress. Many sincere, well-intentioned Christians find themselves stalling in their growth process. This happens because of both old and new stumbling blocks that are scattered like a minefield along their path. In some lives the pathways are totally barred with blocks that are connected with old wounds, offenses and past mistakes that hinder their transformation. In others, the stumbling blocks seem to be stacked up into formidable walls that have created an impenetrable bulwark.

Though they desire spiritual growth, they find themselves confounded and are eventually worn out and brought to a complete stop from the struggle. Some have negotiated a compromise of sorts, making certain concessions in order to settle for living wherever they have stopped. Homesteading at this point along their pathway seems more attainable than struggling to go any further.

Others think they are able to control most of the situations in their life. They keep up appearances and continue to function, reining in circumstances, people, and problem areas so their lives seem to stay in control for a season. But the only person they really have the legal authority to control at that level, long term, is themselves. Eventually these interpersonal manipulations begin to falter and things begin to become unmanageable again.

Others may just cope as well as they can and live in a perpetual state of frustration, agitation and fear. The self-deluding human mind is very ingenious in developing integrated coping systems to function in a compromised state while convincing itself that all is normal and satisfactory. This is the reality and synthesis of real life dysfunction that will eventually bear fruit after its own kind, bringing things to a state of crisis.


SUBTLE FORMS OF OPPRESSION

We have all been the victim of (or even unwittingly participated in) some of the emotional manipulation techniques listed below:

Being ignored, marginalized and then demonized. Not being noticed. Being placed into a lesser relational priority (working one person against another). Subtle withdrawal of attention; Not receiving a response to a question. Undermining (pulling the rug out from) authority that was earlier clearly given. Keeping people guessing about where they stand. Nonverbal messages of impatience or annoyance because time is being wasted. Exaggerated body language. Subtle or outright coldness. Aloofness. Brushed off questioning about "Is anything wrong?" Keeping people off balance. Limiting access. Mild irritability. Outbursts of anger and rage. Physical abuse which has accompanying emotional impact. Ramping up to tyrannical emotional oppressions: "You have displeased me". This type of thing is especially felt in very close relationships such as parenthood or marriage.

Are we supposed to be so hyper-sensitive as to have our toes stepped on by any and every communication? No. On the other hand, how common is it for people to employ this type of communication in a spirit of manipulation, leveraging guilt in order to gain dominance and power? I would say it's fairly common and we probably all do some of this ourselves without realizing it. What is Christianity and the Bible's answer to this type of thing?


OUR EMOTIONAL CAPACITY IS FROM GOD

Humans, made in the image of God, feel. Emotions are a powerful and wonderful gift, given to us by God. As such, they can also be manipulated and attacked by the enemy of our souls. Emotions give us the capacity to interact with our world and the people in our world. They can be damaged and feel pain. The answer to emotional pain is not to shut down our emotional capacity. However, that is exactly what many people do. Emotions cause us to react, take action or move.


CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY

As we delve deeper into these things in greater detail I will be utilizing some psychological terminology and concepts. Is this teaching of emotional and relational abuse in the Christian context just modern psychology with a theological whitewash? I do not believe so. I genuinely have no desire or intention to add to the message or to complicate the ministry of the gospel.

I have concluded that within the mental and emotional sciences of psychology are disciplines and diagnostic tools we can thoughtfully and carefully use. They help us to uncover and define specific emotional conditions and anomalies in order to identify and bring understanding within a realm that can be very perplexing. There is a vast difference between the beliefs, and practices of Christian psychology versus atheistic psychology. Any usage of psychological terminology in this paper is respectfully submitted to the biblical texts as the true plumb line of reality and the church as the pillar and foundation of the truth.


ROOT CAUSES

As an example of root causes in the physical realm, consider the condition that is referred to as acid reflux disease*. One doctor might diagnose it as its own root condition in and of itself with no external cause outside of itself. Attempting to neutralize it with chalky liquids or pills can counter the acidic symptoms, or, more sophisticated medications may be used. Another doctor will maintain that acid reflux is a symptom of an acidic imbalance in the stomach and the guttural imbalance has another cause such as a highly acidic diet or extreme anxiety.

Judith MacNutt, Executive Director of Christian Healing Ministries in Jacksonville Florida explains in her archived radio broadcast about The Role of Emotions & Grief in Depression*, that depression is often a response to external stimuli such as abuse or injustice. In this context, depression is a symptom that has a root cause. This does not diminish or ignore individual cases that deal with biological causes of depression such as brain chemistry imbalances in serotonin levels.


MY INMOST BEING

"In the classic passage describing God's utmost care in creating us, Psalm 139, emotionality is the one aspect of our inner personality specifically referenced. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother‟s womb” (Psalm 139:13,). “Inmost being” is kidneys. In Psalm 73:21 and Proverbs 23:16 the kidneys are the place of sorrow and rejoicing, respectively. In Old Testament thinking, the kidneys prompt or urge to action by aroused emotions. Hans Wolff notes that the Semitic languages used terms for kidneys, reins, stomach, bowels, and womb to describe the feeling states (Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, pp. 62-63). As we literally experience and feel an emotion in our physical being, so we feel an emotion in our psychological being. That‟s why we say things like, “I have butterflies in my stomach.” God created your inmost being, your kidneys, your emotions. Your emotions are fearfully and wonderfully made—by God." *Excerpt from the Book "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction" by Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D.


REPENTANCE - TURNING

The Greek meaning of the biblical word “repent” is to turn 180 degrees and go away from who you were or what you were doing that could be deemed as "ungodly", and head in the opposite direction, toward genuine godliness. I believe the turning process of repentance in the Christian life is a much more long term and involved than is commonly presumed. In most instances the Kingdom of Heaven is established in a person's life - line upon line, precept upon precept, revelation upon progressive revelation. In many lives the mass and velocity of certain aspects of their personhood will take a concerted effort to redirect on a new course toward a genuinely godly and righteous orientation.

To turn a scooter on a dime is one thing. To turn a ship with the mass to displace thousands of tons of water is a completely different matter. The steering and turning of our lives are much more to be compared with a ship than a scooter. This turning is certainly not done through merely human effort but by the indwelling power and work of the Holy Spirit for those who are in Christ.


PRIVILEGES OF BIRTH

A few very fortunate people are actually born into a safe, healthy, nurturing environment; raised by loving, well-adjusted parents who seem to position their beloved child for unfettered success. I, however, find people like this to be extremely rare. Most are raised by a parent or parents who were imperfect themselves, as their parents before them, and had their own issues, wounds and struggles to deal with and get through.

From time to time in the church you have the opportunity to see someone who, almost overnight, has broken free of the past and seemingly become a completely different person. Where there was crime, addiction, and conflict, now there is love, happiness, discipline and healthy structure. But this kind of instant transformation is not the norm in my observation. Rather, I have noticed that Christian transformation as an extended, even life-long process.


THE REALITY AND NATURE OF EMOTIONAL BLOCKAGES

When these emotionally wounded thinking patterns become embedded they are not a memory that is erased, but a memory that is a sort of permanent circuitry. Have you ever known a person who you are familiar enough with them to know that if you give them a certain piece of information, they will respond in defensiveness or paranoia and a backlash of some sort will develop? That person has a root or scheme that has been allowed - sometimes because of self indulgence, some times because of hard experiences or mistreatment - to become an embedded response pattern. In that case our aim should be to learn to identify the scheme and encounter it with God's truth and gifts in order to neutralize and defeat it. But the steering wheel for that process is ultimately in their hands.


PRIVILEGES OF THE CHURCH

In order to see their lives change through individual repentance, those in the church are granted full access to the insights, ministry, and power of the Holy Spirit. This includes a full compliment of the spiritual gifts listed in Romans Chapter 12, 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 and Ephesians Chapter 4. They are referred to as "gifts" for good reason. They are special, exceptional, extravagant, and freely provided by the Holy Spirit to give us a boost and a head start as diagnostic and implementing tools in our life-change process. We are not left without extreme privileges and advantages as true New Testament believers.

How do we fully escape the corruption that is in the world and participate in the divine nature? Dynamic life changes through a genuine process of real repentance are fully intended as a natural course of events in the new birth spoken of in the New Testament scriptures. The promise of the word of God is that we have everything we need at our disposal to live a godly life:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” —2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

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