I went to an interesting meeting Saturday, where John Rosemond, a family psychologist, stood before a large crowd and said, “Psychology is evil.” He was not accusing all members of his profession as being evil, but he boldly declared that humanistic thinking that puts man in the center of things is clearly opposed to God.
A dear missionary friend visited our home this past weekend. She is preparing to go to Athens, Greece to prepare for an outreach during the 2004 Summer Olympics. Anna, a native of Brazil, shared about the spiritual forces and mindsets in this part of the world that oppose Christ. The apostle Paul dealt with such matters when he visited Athens long ago. Though God used the Greek language to bring us a large portion of Scripture, the “Greek wisdom” that influences so much of the western culture is opposed to Him.
If we are brutally honest, we’ll admit we have all been deceived by man-conceived thinking that opposes our Heavenly Father. So what should we do when such conviction comes? Where can we turn but to God? What can we do but humble ourselves and ask for His truth? Yet so often we do not turn to God, and so often we are anything but humble. We have been taught to think for ourselves, and sometimes we are actually convinced we have the answers.
In the second chapter of Jeremiah, God spoke to His people in a very direct way when such thinking reigned. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” God saw Israel perfectly just as He sees us perfectly. He constantly calls His children to turn to Him. “Return, faithless Israel… Return, faithless people, for I am your husband… Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.”
I hear God calling us to turn from all thinking that is not from Him. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Oh that I heed this call and receive this blessing!
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14