There are four stages in biblical change as proposed by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp in their book, How People Change. These four stages include heat, thorns, cross, and fruits.

Last Monday, we discussed the heat part in our class. Heat is about the ugly reality in this world, including people and circumstances in life, and that includes us. We live in a fallen world, and that is why bad things happen even to good people.

As part of my preparation for the thorn stage, I review the 9th chapter. In this article, I plan to write down my notes as I read the chapter while doing a personal reflection at the same time.

Source

Situation in Life

The example given in the first two paragraphs is something common that many can relate to. The wife was late in picking up her husband. That made the man mad and started thinking negatively about the situation. He was thinking that his wife was inconsiderate for leaving the house late because he wanted to take a rest after a long day of work. The good thing is the husband is conscious about his negative thoughts and described them as "silly interlude." Reflecting on his irritation, he admits that even though he is a Christian, still, "it is easy to forget" the grace of God, "it is easy to give way" to negative thoughts, and it is "easy to be more defined by our problems than by the grace of Christ" (p.117).

Thorns

Thornbush responses are sinful responses to the heat of life. This is not the will of God for His people. He wants us to respond to the heat of life in a way that pleases Him. The right mindset and attitude in facing difficult circumstances in life is to ask God what He is trying to tell you about the heat you are facing. In what way can your knowledge of God grow amidst the heat? And also, what aspects of your life need to be changed as a result of such knowledge?

Here is a tentative list of examples of thornbush responses identified in the book:

• Bending and twisting the truth

• Harboring anger and bitterness

• Shifting blame

• Manipulating others

• Talking harshly and in a judgmental way

• Numbing ourselves with busyness, substances, and material possessions.

• Getting our identity from other people or our accomplishments

• Giving in to lust

• Taking vengeance

• Becoming defensive and self-protective

• Responding selfishly and thoughtlessly

• Talking unkindly about others

• Envying what others have

• Consolidating power to gain control

• Cursing one another with silence or rejection

You can add your own sinful response to the above list. As for me, many responses included in the list describe me.

Joyful Discontent

The couple in our story responds to the heat of life like a thornbush. The man has a problem with his temper and debt. Their relationship as a couple is problematic. Even though they don't fight, they live separate lives.

The case of this couple is not uncommon. Many Christian couples live like unbelievers. It is in this context that the authors describe the Christian life as a calling of God to joyful discontent. Joyful because of God's grace, and yet dissatisfied because we don't see the change that God intends for us. They then used Hebrews 4:14-5:10 as the biblical basis to help us face our spiritual struggles in life that prevent us from living the kind of change that God wants to see in our lives.

The passage gives us six insights:

• God is not surprised by our struggle.

• The Bible is for people just like you and me.

• Christ enters into our struggles.

• Christ will help.

• Christ pleads our cases to the Father.

• We can come to God with confidence.

This is what the authors meant by real hope for personal change. I think describing this real hope deserves the full quote:

Real hope is not rooted in my performance, my maturity, my theological knowledge, or my personal perfection. It is not rooted in the quality of my character, my reputation, or my success in ministry. My hope is Christ! He is in my life forever, looking on me with tenderness and compassion. He will progressively transform me until the job is complete (p.120).

Don't Live Like Unbelievers

After giving that real hope text from Hebrews, the authors shared Ephesians 4:17 to 6:18 as the biblical basis for joyful discontent.

Using the above passage, the authors presented a contrast between two kinds of life. The first kind can be described as the thornbush response or the old man's response to the heat of life. This is the way of the unbelievers. The second kind of life is the fruit tree response or the new man's response. This is the kind of response that God expects from His children.

The two trees (thornbush and fruit tree) have different roots that determine the response. The first is rooted in wrong thinking and wrong desires, which result in wrong responses to the heat of life. Here is the list of responses from the thornbush:

• Indulging in every kind of impurity

• Lying

• Destructive anger

• Stealing

• Unwholesome communication

• Fighting, slander, and an unforgiving spirit

In contrast to the thornbush response, the response of a believer is rooted in a new way of thinking and a new set of desires. Here is the list of responses from a fruit tree:

• Speaking the truth

• Being angry without sinning

• A lifestyle of giving

• Kind, compassionate, and forgiving relationships

Spiritual Warfare

Contrary to the conventional understanding of spiritual warfare, the apostle Paul saw it as the living out of the responses of the fruit tree in normal life, which includes everyday relationships, interaction with the world, relationships in the body of Christ, marriage, parenting, and the workplace.

Getting Personal

Among the numerous questions raised by the authors, I just want to select a few that apply to me:

• In your current situation and relationships, how are you responding sinfully?

• Where are you experiencing the consequences of your responses?

• Where have you quit doing what God says is good?

• Are you dealing with your feelings by doing unhealthy things (too much eating, spending, or working; escaping with too much TV or too many novels)?

Contrast Between Thorn Bush Responses and Fruit Tree Responses

Thorn Bush Responses

• Denial, avoidance, and escape

This series of responses happens when we pretend that we and our circumstances are okay when they are not. We avoid confronting the issue and look for ways of escape, such as watching Netflix, overeating, gardening, mountain climbing, and playing sports.

• Exaggeration and catastrophizing

Here, we rewrite our story. We don't see anything good. Our pain defines us. We think our case is exceptional. No one has suffered the way we did.

• Hypersensitivity

We become overly sensitive. We tend to look at people with suspicion. We make sure that we won't be hurt again, and that is why we become over-cautious.

• Returning evil for evil

We want to hurt the person the way he hurt us.

• Isolation and paralysis

We quit the Christian fellowship. We no longer pray, and we stop reading the Bible.

• Blame-shifting

We no longer see our part in the problem. We justify our actions by what someone did to us.

Fruit Tree Responses

• Face reality

Accept what happened and that there was nothing you could have done to prevent it from happening.

• Respond appropriately

Betrayal is not the whole thing. Your identity in Christ is far bigger than someone's betrayal.

• Be vigilant

Trusting God does not mean complacency. Faith and vigilance work together.

• Engage in constructive activity

When in pain, it is easy to destroy things and hurt people. Instead of wasting your energy in anger, focus your attention on something constructive.

• Remember

Facing difficult trials in life, remember that the presence of God is your ultimate comfort, and with his power, no problem is beyond his control. Entrust to God the things you cannot control. The most important of all is that your trials in life do not exempt you from obeying his commands.

Grace and peace!