Are emotional problems the key issue, or is it simply a symptom of the actual problem? If they are merely a symptom then our quest for wholeness must take us 'Beyond the root'.
The Root of the Problem
The analogy of plant growth is relevant and scriptural. Paul warns against a root of bitterness while Jesus likened us to soil in which weeds( thorns and thistle) might grow. In Jeremiah there is a prophetic exhortation imploring us to 'avoid sowing among the thorns'(Jeremiah 4:3). What are the thorns? They can represent many things depending on the context. Concerning the soul, weeds, thorns and thistle stand for sin and the pain brought on by the ravages of the kingdom of darkness. In the absence of a revelation of the Father's heart there can only be rejection, fear, loneliness and dissappointment. These can inhibit our ability to form longlasting healthy relationships.
Consequently, our attention has focused on two things: firstly, bringing a revelation of the Father's heart and secondly, weeding the soil of our soul with special attention being paid to the root. Of course, as anyone who has done the least amount of gardening knows, getting rid of minute portions of a root can be next to impossible. Likewise, complete healing seemed to contantly slip through the fingers of those we nurtured. Having been impacted by clear demonstrations of power, believers achieved only short-term freedom before the weeds would again re-establish themselves.
Initially I could not understand why so many failed to achieve spiritual and emotional stability. One thing was certain, there was an answer! Increasingly, it began to be clear: The weeds were not the problem. The scripture declares that offenses will come. Even Jesus was a 'rock of offense', but he said, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me".
The true issue is not the fact others offend but the ease by which we are offended. It is not the root or the sown seeds which should concern us most, but the soil which gives room for it to take root. This is not to say we ignore the root, rather in our quest for wholeness we must remove the root, but also press on to change the constitution of the very soil in which it finds place. Is it a coincidence that the garden of Eden contained no weeds or thistle before the fall of man? Mankind's fall into sin brought the curse which included thorns and thistle (Genesis 3:18 )". Previous to this moment the earth was immune. It simply could not or would not allow their seed to germinate. Likewise, there is a place of immunity for the heart and soul of believers. It begins with aggressive weeding, but that is just the beginning. The process of my own healing is testimony to this truth.
Discovering the Problem
My personal desire for freedom in this area began very early as the Lord revealed the depth of my need. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It happened while I was a student at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas. Every day at 11:00 am we assembled in the main auditorium for Lectures in Contemporary Theology; a fancy name for a daily session hosted by various guest ministries. I found these sessions enjoyable not only for the value of the teaching but because the entire student body assembled. Being a social bug this gave me the opportunity to meet and chat with the broadest variety of people. A veritable people smorgasborg (buffet to some)!
As per usual, I proceeded to my seat anticipating some warm fellowship and the comfort of friendly faces. On the way I passed by a friend who was engaged in casual conversation. Giving him a broad smile and warm greeting as I passed by, I expected the same in return. Instead I received a rather blank nod; barely an acknowledgment, I thought. Immediately, hot streaks of anxiety flushed through my body. Bewilderment and confusion flooded my being as I quickly summarized my recent history with this person.
Questions pounded my mind with thunderous force. 'What had I done?' 'Did I offend him?' 'Was there something I said which caused him to begin to dislike me?' In my mind I rehearsed yesterday's greeting; it was nothing short of raw excitment. 'Why had today's greeting fallen so short of yesterday's, I wondered. 'Surely something must be terribly wrong that he should snub me in such a callous manner'. Suddenly, amidst the blurr of my raging thoughts, reality pierced it's way into my being as the Lord spoke (though at the time I did not know it was the Lord).
The word was as profound as it was simple. He said , 'He was talking to someone else!'. Stunned by this revelation I immediately relaxed. 'Of course', I thought, as this new clarity settled down upon me. Though I was refreshed by the knowledge I was not being rejected, my response to this harmless interaction alarmed me. How could I have missunderstood the situation and been overtaken with such an upheaval of emotion? For the first time I saw my emotional response as significantly abnormal. Even worse was the fact that this was a regular and typical response, though I had never before thought it unusual. Up to that point I had begun to understand, to some degree at least, my need for healing. However, I now saw myself in an entirely new catagory; neurotic. That may not have been a clinical definition, but something was clearly wrong with me.
The Secret World
Some may find my response in this situation amazingly strange and wonder how someone could not be aware this was a problem. Welcome to the secret inner world! While this topic would make a very good article in itself, let me briefly explain. Each of us regularly engages in thinking processes which are unhealthy and sometimes unbelievably wicked. However, our inner world is not subject to scrutiny. The measures and standard applied to the outside world do not apply here. The mind and heart regularly process judgements and determinations without the slightest bit of objectivity or accountability. These are the strongholds which serve to advance the destructive abilities of the kingdom of darkness in our lives.
So deeply entrenched are they, that they go on without our active consent or contribution. Why? Because they have never been questioned or brought to the light. Unless we have opportunity to divulge them, which rarely happens unless we are assured of agreement, their protective custody continues unabated. It begins early while we are raised in an environment which breeds and nurtures it's peculiar brand of thinking patterns. It can be as simple as a belief that men should not show their emotions. On the other hand it may be as devilish as systematic racism. Whatever those patterns are, throughout our lives they are communicated and reinforced by those closest to us. We develop friendships with those who think like us, where we articulate deviant philosophies to a chorus of 'Amens'. They become so familiar to us we cannot even see them as distinct from who we are. Since no one has the opportunity to observe or question these thoughts, they can never be challenged or changed.
The first work of the Holy Spirit is to begin isolating these destructive patterns. But they are more than patterns, they are demonic strongholds; places where our minds do not stand in agreement with truth. Areas of thinking which sympathize with perverse darkness. The first level of spiritual warfare is not with demonic hosts in the heavenlies, it is with the darkness dwelling within(2 Corinthians 10:4-5). When there are strongholds in our minds and emotions, we have no ability to see them as wrong. When they are triggered, normal reasoning temporarily goes out the window. Freedom can come, but it hinges on our willingness to receive the truth as it is revealed.