Wow aren’t words and their meaning important? I’ve been getting coached for a while now by a high level coach I really do enjoy and respect. What I’ve had to really wrestle with word after word however is her use of words in ways I’ve never heard them used. Time after time I’ve found the new uses to be influenced by new age movement or other philosophical thought leader’s re-framing of language. There is a lot of “power” (perceived power at least, influence toward at least something for sure) in the re-working of how people define words. It seems much more healthy and wise and God-fearing however to simply go back to the truest and deepest meaning of words instead of trying to re-frame someone into a “new age”.

As an example: You’ve heard the phrase from Carl Jung, “What you resist persists.” Yet we see in God’s Word that we are to resist the Devil and he will flea from us. What I do agree with in this conversation is that the best resistance of evil is the pursuit of good.

A great example of this is the passage that says I will run in the way of Your commands when You enlarge my heart. I don’t run in the way of God’s commands by “accepting” what I should be resisting. It’s so crucial to define our terms in life and to find our ultimate definition as people and the ultimate definition of words in the Word and Spirit of God Himself since He is the ultimate Creator and Author. Want to live a life of creativity without risking leaving the path of the Creator? Learn to abide in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

It’s been special to wrestle with such a high level coach’s principles and go back to God’s Word day-by-day for my deepest definition and definitions. God has really been rewarding this wrestle, and I’ve done my best to abide in His presence to such a degree that I’m both fully seeking to learn what my coach is teaching and coaching me into about human observations of behavior and how to experience personal development while at the same time leaning in most deeply to the Father Himself, trusting the Spirit of God to guide me into the deepest and purest wisdom in God’s Word and presence. This way I’m both getting around and down into the ideals of the world and learning the proverbs like principles human behavior science folks have to offer, but all the while seeking to observe where things are true or possibly lies, or even deceit. I am not the ultimate discerner of truth, but God is. And, God is the ultimate Author of words and their meanings, truths and how to discern lies.

My prayerful goal in all of this is to discern where the world is at in theories for human development and growth and discern what of this is of the LORD through natural revelation and what of this is concerning and something to be wary of as we seek to reach goals for God’s glory. We don’t want to use ungodly means to reach commendable ends – the ends in other words do not justify the means.

May we live in such a way that we know in our knower that what we are doing to reach good goals we can walk into God’s holy throne room with one day. God is the judge of human motives and behavior. My prayerful hope is to more and more have less and less out of alignment with the Savior’s ideals given us by the Word and through the checks and certainties the Spirit gives genuine Jesus followers.

In His path,

Torrey