Worldviews

Deeper Life Ministries bases its approach to ministry on a biblical worldview. This is opposed to a psychological worldview. The worldview a counseling approach is based upon determines how problems are interpreted and whether or not they have solutions for them. From our viewpoint, here is an overview of those worldviews:

Psychological World View

By psychological we mean a belief system that is based on a pseudo-scientific understanding of existence that is humanistic and godless. This belief system understands life from an entirely physical aspect. Psychology is usually portrayed as being scientific, but the underlying foundation of the worldview upon which it is based is simply another faith system, only one without God.

In this worldview, the problems people face, if they are not a result of disease or injury, are considered to be result of environment, genetics, and brain chemistry. While psychology and psychiatry do a good job of observing and documenting human behavioral problems, they lack an effective solution for them.

Addressing problems of environment, genetics, and brain chemistry involves various forms of therapy and medications. The intent is to lessen the symptoms, enhance mood, and provide a way to cope.

Many forms of Christian counseling integrate this worldview with Bible concepts and verses. Often though, the focus is still on symptoms (various behaviors and feelings). The goal then, is to feel better about oneself. The way to feel better focuses on other people and circumstances as the cause of those bad feelings. The end result is a sidestepping of personal responsibility.

Biblical World View

By biblical, we mean a belief system based on he Bible, including God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the principles and revelation about people it documents. This belief system includes the understanding that people are created by God as eternal souls with an eternal spirit, and having a physical body. People are designed with a heart, which is a biblical word for the part of the soul that is the center of worship, spiritual life, intellect, decisions and desires. It is also referred to as the inner person.

In this worldview, the problems people face result from the fact that the heart, designed to worship God, instead worships created things. To worship means to have extreme devotion or intense love or admiration for something. People worship what they value. All people value something. They do it continually. There are always things that are very important to people. The original intent was for people to worship only God.

Adam and Eve chose to worship something other than God. Now all people worship things other than God. The bible calls these false gods. They simply are the things people want so badly they are willing to sin to get, or for which they will sin if they don’t get them. This causes them to use people or things to worship and serve their gods. That turns those people or things into idols. A person who uses another person to get something is idolizing them, and is incapable of loving them. This then, is the root of not only relationship problems, but all of the problems people face. They are symptoms of this “worship disorder.” Idols are terrible masters. The strength of a person’s bondage to an idol is equal to how strongly they want that thing.

The very thing that people use to give them what they want winds becoming  their master. They give it  power to control and own them, their lives and their peace. So, the whole strategy backfires.  Idolatry is fueled by two lies. One lie is that people need the things they want. The other lie is that a created thing can provide those things they want.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, his shed blood and his resurrection provide the solution. He released people from bondage to those false gods, and restores their relationship with Him. With a restored relationship with Jesus, they have the tools available that can free them from the symptoms they suffer. The point of all this is the restoration of the relationship, and not the removal of the symptoms. Some forms of idol worship result in life-long consequences. But people are able to thrive in them if they have a restored connection with the Lord.

Focus

DLM Objectives

Deeper Life Ministries has several  main objectives:

•             Help others.

•             Equip people to help others.

•             Train people to help themselves.

DLM Approach

DLM’s approach is to help people learn or relearn who Jesus is, what He did, and restore a good relationship with him. By doing so, they avail themselves to the resources he gives all of his people to live life in a God-pleasing way.

We do these things primarily in 3 ways:

•             Discipling

•             Training

•             Seminars

Whether a person is an idolater, or a victim of one, DLM’s seeks to do these things:

•             Guide counselees in identifying, stating and facing their problems.

•             Guide counselees to identify and reject the false gods they may have in their lives, and restore their relationship with and worship of Jesus.

•             Help counselees find salvation, forgiveness, healing, deliverance, comfort, and answers to problems by helping them put off the old man, and put on the new man in practical, tangible ways.

•             For those suffering innocently as victims of idolatry, help them find a way forward in Christ. In Christ they find comfort, rest, strength, courage, wisdom and the ability to interpret their circumstances well.

Psychotropic Medications

We consider medications prescribed by physicians or psychiatrists for mental or emotional difficulties this way:

•             They are amoral. They are neither good nor evil. They are a tool.

•             They can be helpful in  certain circumstances.

•             They can be harmful in certain circumstances.

•             They affect symptoms, not causes.

•             Spiritual problems do not have chemical solutions.

•             We are not licensed to prescribe medications. Therefore, we rarely advise starting or ceasing taking such medications.

Purpose of Counseling

The purpose of counseling, as Paul states in Eph 4:13 is unity of faith, clear understanding of who Jesus, is, and spiritual maturity. Its goal in dealing with people with problems, as Paul says in Gal 6:1-2, is to restore ones who have fallen, and to bear one another’s burdens. It is to strengthen a person’s relationship with Christ, from which right living comes. Because God’s ultimate goal is our eternity with Christ, counseling seeks to support this aim using means and methods the Bible illustrates for us.

Tom Johnson