One Man's Opinion: Incarnational Therapy

Christ’s Servanthood

1. Guides my growth in servanthood:

2. Steadies my processing of trauma:

3. Challenges my thoughts:

4. Balances my extremes:

5. Disciplines my decisions:

6. Develops my uncertainties:

C. Christ’s Incarnation

1. Mentors me as a person and missionary:

2. Sustains me as a person and missionary:

3. Teaches balance with others’ needs:

4. Guides in death of vision and rebirth of purpose:

5. Provides perspective for next-generation missionaries:

6. Encourages my growth in glorifying the Lord:

D.	Christ’s Incarnation & Trauma Processing
	●Research Focus (Incarnational Principles)

Incarnational Principle: The Incarnation

1. The Godhead experiencing the victorious, but traumatic slaying of the Lamb of God “from the foundation of the world” (Re. 13:8b), is a truth that can sustain me in trauma processing:

Incarnational Principle: Compassion fatigue

2. The “acquaintance with grief” of The Incarnation, anticipating victorious outcome (Is. 53:3a), is a truth that can steady me in trauma processing:

3. The incarnate Christ being “touched with the feelings of our infirmities” (He. 4:15a), is a truth that can provide endurance in trauma processing:

Incarnational Principle: Death of vision, birth of purpose

4. God’s original cry, “Where are you?” (Ge. 3:9b), indicating He knew the deepest sorrow long before my agony, is a concept that can provide comfort in trauma processing:

5. Jesus’ cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46b), portraying incarnational identification with my sorrow, is a concept that can provide perspective in trauma processing:

Incarnational Principle: Missionary mentoring

6. Jesus’ growth in His incarnate life, becoming “strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of
God . . . upon Him” (Lk. 2:40), is a reminder of the Lord’s help in trauma processing:

7. The incarnate Word of God “made flesh” (vulnerable), living with us so that we can witness His glory, grace, and truth (Jn. 1:14), is an example that can provide guidance in trauma processing:

8. The incarnational portrait of Jesus Christ “made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7b), is an example of humility and obedience that can provide instruction in trauma processing:

Incarnational Principle: Christ glorified

9. The incarnational lesson, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13), is a principle that can provide perspective in trauma processing:

Incarnational Principle: Missionary longevity & Next-Generation Missionaries

10. The Word of the Lord to His servants, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations . . . . and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Mt. 28:19), is an unfailing promise that can provide hope in trauma processing:

11. Missionaries experience quantifiable trauma that can benefit from incarnationally-centered spiritual and psychological support:

E.	Christ’s Incarnation & Missionary Wellness
	●Research Inquiry (Incarnational Themes)

Incarnational Theme: Infinite God . . . In finite flesh

1. The incarnational theme of Infinite God . . . In finite flesh (John 1:1-5, 14-17; 1 John 1:1-4) is a truth that can encourage missionary wellness in following Christ:

Incarnational Theme: Growth, filling, maturity . . . Within limitation

2. The theme, Growth, filling, maturity . . . Within limitation (Luke 2:40, 52), is a truth that can strengthen a missionary’s development of servant-service balance:

Incarnational Theme: Led by the Spirit (wilderness) . . . Return in the power of the Spirit

3. The theme, Led by the Spirit (wilderness) . . . Return in the power of the Spirit (Lk. 4:1a, 14-15), is a truth that can provide guidance through life-stages of servanthood and service:

Incarnational Theme: Prayer . . . Aloneness . . . Surrounding need

4. The theme, Prayer . . . Aloneness . . . Surrounding need (Mt. 14:22 -23), is a truth that can sustain one in biblical balancing of personhood and ministry:

Incarnational Theme: Understanding dimmed . . . Opened

5. Understanding dimmed . . . Opened (Lk. 24:13a-24, 27-34, 45), is a theme that can contribute to endurance during times of wellness-growth:

Incarnational Theme: The purpose of suffering

6. The purpose of suffering (Lk. 24:26, 45-50; He. 5:8-10; 1 Peter 4:12-14, 16; 2:19-25) is a theme from which one can experience hope when facing uncertainty:

Incarnational Theme: The perception of suffering

7. The perception of suffering (Mk. 15:34b; He. 5:6-7; 13:5b; 2 Co. 4:6-11, 14-18) is a theme that can instruct one in trauma processing and wellness-growth:

Incarnational Theme: The result of suffering

8. The result of suffering (Lk. 23:46; Ps. 31:5; Ac. 7:59-60; Mt. 26:38-39, 42; 1 Pe. 2:21; He. 6:1, 10-12, 17-20; 12:15) is a theme that can offer God’s faithfulness to one trusting Him:

Incarnational Theme: Christ glorified not Himself

9. The theme, Christ glorified not Himself (He. 5:5a; Jn. 5:30-31, 36; 8:54; 16:13-15; 17:1, 4-6, 11; Phil. 2:5-11), is a truth that can steady the seeking heart:

Incarnational Theme: Jesus Christ revealed, The faithful witness

10. The theme Jesus Christ revealed, The faithful witness (Re. 1:1-20) is a truth that can center missionary purpose and enhance wellness:

One Man's Opinion

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Incarnational Therapy

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