The Journey Within

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The Journey Within 

By Valy Vaduva

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. 

— Psalm 139:23–24

The Backstory

The year 2016 was a year of physical suffering for me (Valy). I had two surgeries, and the recovery period was long and painful. During that period, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to pray and seek God’s face for a deeper understanding of the process of progressive sanctification. It looks like when we are in physical pain, we are more open and willing to hear God’s voice. Shortly after, I sensed in my heart that the Lord wants His disciples to integrate spiritual growth and emotional health. Peter Scazzero is right: “It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.”[1] In other words, our spiritual growth depends on our emotional health and vice versa. We cannot have one without the other. Therefore, spiritual growth and emotional health must be integrated into our discipleship.

The Battle for the Heart

The battle for the human heart is waged in the mind. In fact, for us as followers of Christ, if we do not win the battle at the threshold of the mind, we have already lost it. To understand the dynamic of this battle, we must go back to the book of Genesis. 

God created man to reflect His glory. Through Adam and Eve, God desired to display His holiness (Ps. 99:3–5); show His love and patience (1 Cor. 13:4); longsuffering (1 Cor. 13:7); wisdom (James 3:13,17); provide comfort (2 Cor. 1:3–4); extend forgiveness (Heb. 10:17); faithfulness (Ps. 89:1, 2, 5, 8); and bestow His grace (Ps. 111:4). God equipped man with a brilliant mind and emotional capacity “to be the showcase for God’s glorious character.”[2]

Like Adam and Eve, another being was created in perfection. His name was Lucifer, which, according to Isaiah, means “star of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12). Ezekiel describes this cherub as being “Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12b). But because of pride, Lucifer fell and became “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44b).

Lucifer decided to visit Eve in the garden of Eden, disguised in the body of a serpent, with the sole purpose of deceiving her and causing Adam to fall in the same disobedience he did. The book of Genesis introduces the serpent as being craftier “than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” (Genesis 3:1). What strategy do you think he used? Lying. Merriam-Webster defines lying as: “to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive. To create a false or misleading impression.”[3] 

The outcome of that conversation influenced the entire human history:

Lucifer—Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1b).

Eve—You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die. (Genesis 3:3b).

Lucifer—You surely will not die! (Genesis 3:4b).

Lucifer—For God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5).

Eve—“Saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6).

Only one simple, clear, and direct command

Let us be reminded that God’s command was simple, clear, and direct:

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16–17)

Now, allow me to unpack briefly what happened and try to uncover Satan’s strategy in deceiving Eve.

Step 1: The devil sows the seed of disbelief in the Word of God. “Indeed, has God said…” (Genesis 3:1)

Step 2: The devil emphasizes the little that is forbidden, so the man focuses on that and forgets the abundance of things that are allowed. “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1b)

Step 3: Satan misinterprets the words of God. “You surely will not die!” (Genesis 3:4b).

Step 4: The enemy inspires mistrust in the minds of humans regarding the character and the nature of God. 

Step 5: Satan, very subtly, strongly suggests that God intentionally withholds the manifestation of something good and useful in man’s life. 

“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

By using these simple steps, Lucifer succeeded in planting disbelief in Eve’s heart. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). The result of their disobedience “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Genesis 3:7). Since then, human beings kept trying all sorts of “loin coverings” to cover their nakedness. 

One question must be asked: “Where was Adam when Lucifer talked to his wife, Eve?” Obviously, Adam was there, and he did not protect his wife. Eve was deceived, but Adam sinned willingly. It is not only the gullibility of Eve that got all humankind into this mess, but more importantly, the silence of Adam. He should have spoken against the enemy, fought for his family, and defended the territory over which he had delegated authority. (See Genesis 2:15).

It is evident that Satan’s strategy worked. Let us see what emerged into Eve’s mind after her conversation with the deceiver was over:

• The lust of the flesh: “The woman saw that the tree was good for food” (Genesis 3:6a).
• The lust of the eyes: “And that it was a delight to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6b).
• The boastful pride of life: “And that the tree was desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6c).

Putting things in perspective

The adult brain is estimated to have more than 60 trillion neuronal connections. “Neurons make connections with other neurons to form the information processing networks that are responsible for all of our thoughts, sensations, feelings, and actions. Each neuron can make connections with more than 1,000 other neurons.”[4]And this is the testimony to God, not to evolution, science, or anything else.

It took me more than thirty minutes to write these things. It takes an average reader about one minute to read Genesis 3:1–6. But the human brain has the ability to process certain types of information within as little as 13 milliseconds. It takes us 300 to 400 milliseconds to blink. Wow! Glory to God! “This means that your brain can identify what it’s looking at approximately 30 times faster than you can blink your eye!”[5]

Therefore, by the time the conversation with Lucifer was over, Eve had already decided what to do. Why? She “being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14). It is hard to believe, but this is how fast temptation works! What is absolutely disappointing is the fact that Satan has been using his strategy successfully for thousands of years. The sad part is that the devil is successful today more than ever. 

The essence of the world system

The three channels of temptation, described by John: 

(1) the lust of the flesh

(2) the lust of the eyes 

(3) the boastful pride of life

These are ingrained in the world system. According to God’s word, the three channels of temptation describe the essence of our world system. (See 1 John 2:15–17). The devil’s strategy is mainly based on these three channels of temptation. That is why John’s instruction: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him? (1 John 2:15) is extremely important. If we want to live forever, we must set our minds on unwavering obedience to God’s word. John explains: “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).

As Lucifer deceived Eve, he is eager to deceive us too

Paul expresses his concern for the church. “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). 

Think about it! The first family lived in a perfect environment. No Internet, no social media, no TV, not being stuck in traffic, no pressure to pay the mortgage, no children, no mother-in-law, no failed exam or being laid off, and so on. In other words, Adam and Eve had no stress and no stressors until the cunning serpent showed up. Adam was required to observe only one simple, clear, and direct command; not 10, not 613, just one: “You shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam was not required to have a doctorate in theology to interpret Genesis 2:17. God spelled it out to him: “for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17b). In light of all these things, Adam decided to listen to his wife, rather than obeying God.

Therefore, we must always be aware that we are in spiritual warfare. We have to settle once and for all that our allegiance and loyalty are 100% to Jesus. (See Mark 12:28–34, 2 Corinthians 11:3). We should never entertain any dialogue with Satan, regardless of the subject matter. We must grow and mature in order to “put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). We must understand that the battle is between the truth of God and the lie of the enemy. The struggle is between the devil’s inspired thoughts and the man’s entertained “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5a). We must decide to walk according to the mind of the spirit, not according to the mind of the flesh, so we can discern where the thoughts are coming from. By doing so, we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to start “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b).

As I said, Satan is just as able now, if not even more sophisticated than back in the garden, to deceive the Church.

In summary:

• Deception takes place primarily at the mind level.
• The spiritual battle between Satan’s lies and God’s truth is won or lost at the threshold of the mind.
• After being deceived, the thought process gets corrupted, and human behavior is progressively ruined.
• · With a deceived mind and corrupted thoughts, spiritual discernment gets foggier; therefore, we end up tolerating the things of the world.
• After losing our spiritual awareness, we no longer care about being devoted and loyal to Jesus. 
• Finally, we reach the state of mind to justify any questionable behavior easily, and we often even use the very Word of God to excuse it.
• This is how crafty Satan is. If you don’t believe me, ask Eve, she will validate my statements!

Lies Christians believe

Satan lies to us regarding ourselves, God, and others. So, from very early in life, we already have a distorted view of God, the world, others, and ourselves. Spiritually speaking, all of us were born with the predisposition to sin. Also, from a very early stage of our lives, we deceive ourselves by adopting all sorts of skewed interpretations and wrong conclusions. 

Paul writes:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them, we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (Ephesians 2:1–3)

After we become Christians, the false core beliefs are still deep-seated inside of us. 

Some of these beliefs could be:

• God does not really care for me
• I am worthless
• Nobody will really love me 
• I have been a failure all my life
• If people really knew me, they would not like me
• And so on…

Major lies Christians believe

According to Robert McGee, four false beliefs result from Satan's deceptions. Each major lie generates its corresponding negative consequences. The good news is that God has a specific solution for each.

These false beliefs are:

1. The Performance Trap: “I must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself.”

2. The Approval Addict: “I must be approved (accepted) by others to feel good about myself.”

3. The Blame Game: “Those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.”

4. Shame: “I just can’t help it; that’s just the way I am. I cannot change. I am hopeless.”

The main consequences of the performance trap are: 

• fear of failure
• perfectionism
• driven to succeed
• manipulating others to achieve success
• withdrawal from healthy risks
• anger
• resentment
• pride
• depression
• low motivation

God’s solution for the performance trap is justification. Justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Did you know that justification = just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned. (See Romans 5:1). Because of justification, we are completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God. We no longer need to fear failure. As a result of God’s solution, we desire to pursue the right things, we have greater love and devotion for Christ, an increased motivation to please Him, and an increased desire to love and serve others.

The consequences of the approval addict are:

• fear of rejection
• attempting to please others at any cost
• overly sensitive to criticism
• withdrawing from others to avoid disapproval
• being easily manipulated
• codependency
• control
• depression

God’s solution for the approval addict is reconciliation. Through the death of Christ, we have been reconciled so we can be presented before God “holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Colossians 1:21–22). Because of reconciliation, we are totally accepted by God. The Father is at peace with us. We no longer have to fear rejection. The main result of God's answer to the approval addict is that we experience increasing freedom from the fear of rejection. Not only that, but we are readier than before to be vulnerable and open with others, more relaxed in social settings, can take criticism constructively, and have an increased desire to please God despite what others think.

The most visible consequences of the blame game are: 

• fear of punishment
• punishing others
• blaming others for personal failure
• withdrawal from God and others
• driven to avoid failure

God’s solution to the blame game is propitiation. This theological concept is a little bit harder to understand. In a nutshell, propitiation means that because of Christ’s death on our behalf, God’s holiness and justice is 100% satisfied. This term is used by Paul in Romans 3:24–25 and by John, in 1 John 2:2. If you want to dig a little bit deeper, see the subchapter “Propitiation” from my book The Journey of Transformation: Becoming Like Christ Through Spiritual Metamorphosis,[6] (available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3nB4aR7.) Because of propitiation, I am deeply loved by God. I no longer have to fear punishment or punish myself or others. The main results of God’s answer to the approval addict are an increased freedom from the fear of punishment; more patience and kindness toward others, being more comfortable and quicker to apply forgiveness, progressively gaining and maintaining a clear conscience, and a deep-seated love for Christ and others.

Here are the primary consequences of the fourth major lie, shame:

• feelings of shame
• hopelessness
• inferiority
• passivity
• loss of creativity
• isolation
• withdrawal from others
• resigned to failure
• a nagging feeling of helplessness

God’s solution for shame is regeneration. To be regenerated means that we are spiritually reborn by the living Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. (See John 3:3–6, Titus 3:5, and 2 Corinthians 5:17). Again, if you want to dig a little bit deeper, see the chapter called “A New Heart” from my book Fullness of Christ: Expressing God’s Nature and Character in and through you.[7] The main benefit of regeneration is that we are complete in Christ. Consequently, we no longer need to experience the pain of shame. We have a new nature, a new heart. Our identity is entirely new, and the sole source of our new identity is the Lord Jesus Christ. To learn more about your new identity, look for the chapter with the same name from the book, Fullness of Christ.

The journey within

I hope that by now, you are realizing more and more that you, as all of us, have bought into the satanic formulas explained briefly in the previous pages. Are you ready now to recognize that your life has been affected by these four false beliefs? You may justify yourself: “Well, but I have believed this way all my life.” You may ask: “How in the world am I supposed to break free from these ingrained thought patterns I’ve had my entire life?”

We have good news for you! If you decide to cooperate with God and invite the Holy Spirit to release His transforming power into your mind, there are ways to get rid of those major and many minor lies. Yeah, that is true! You cannot transform yourself, and God cannot do it on your behalf. You and I partner with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Paul writes: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Robert McGee writes: “Renew your mind… It is more than self-talk. It is more than repeating some words over and over. It is actually changing some of the thought patterns by which we have lived our entire lives.”[8] 

McGee suggests that these things must take place before we can experience real mind renewal:

• agreeing with God that we have been deceived
• agreeing with God that we have been believing a lie and we need to repent for doing so
• allowing God to show us how destructive this lie has been in our lives
• choosing to reject the lies we have been believing so long and committing ourselves to believe what God says to be true
• being willing to stand on the truth that God discloses to us about ourselves instead of using our normal responses[9]

Another bit of good news is that, as regenerated people, God has given us a supernatural deception detector—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s primary mission is to reveal the truth to us.

John writes: 

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13)

Not only that God has given us a supernatural deception detector, but He equipped with a natural deception detector—our emotions. McGee explains that:

Our hurtful, negative emotions are similar to the body’s mechanism of creating fever. When you have an infection, your body increases your body temperature. One of the uses of that mechanism is to alert you that you are sick. We would never take medication that would eliminate this process from occurring, as we could become deathly ill without knowing what was happening. However, many of us have a preoccupation with finding ways of avoiding all hurtful emotions through alcohol, drugs, or some form of activity that keeps us active and away from thinking about what is bothering us.[10]

Beginning the journey within

This section is my adaptation of McGee’s chapter titled “The Trip In.” There are two main tools you need to journey within: the Wheel of Emotions[11]to help you identify and name your emotions, and the Table to assist you with the journey within. 

Wheel of Emotions is divided into six parts like a pizza. Each part has a root, such as sad, mad, scared, peaceful, powerful, or joyful. The other emotions spring out of the root. Interestingly enough, most of the people, Christian included, are more familiar with mad, sad, and scared. When it comes to peaceful, powerful, and joyful, these are the emotions they would like to experience. Most people have been dominated by mad, sad, and scared, most of their lives.

It has been proven that every time people put words to their feelings, and identify their emotions, it seems to bring some freedom in their lives. The Feeling Wheel is a good tool to use for “The Journey Within.”

The following diagram is meant to help us visually see the train of events.

Situation

 Belief     Thoughts     Emotions     Actions

Simply put, situations trigger believes, beliefs generate thoughts, thoughts generate emotions, and emotions generate certain behaviors.

Tracing Emotions to the Root Belief

Apostle. Paul writes, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). “The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.” (1 Timothy 5:24). James exhorts us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. . . .” (James 5:16).

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”[1]. So, let us examine our hearts in the light of the living word of God and in the presence of the Holy Spirit. To examine, means to inspect (someone or something) in detail to determine their nature or condition; investigate thoroughly.[2] Ask yourself: Am I hiding anything? Do I have something to confess? Am I living in guilt and denial? 

The Feeling Wheel

https://urfm.org/valys-blog

The key Scripture passage for the journey within is Psalm 139. David writes:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23–24)

The Journey Within  

The   Situation 

Phase 1

Bondage

(Use emotions to identify false   beliefs and destructive thoughts)

False-Beliefs, Destructive-Thoughts,  Destructive-Emotions, Destructive-Behavior 

Phase 2

Obedience

(Identify false beliefs;   acknowledge destructive thoughts and behavior)

Confession of false beliefs and destructive thoughts and behavior

Repentance and Obedience

Phase 3

Freedom

(Replace   false beliefs with God’s truth)

God’s-Truth, Healthy-Thoughts, Healthy-Emotions, Healthy-Behavior

Before starting the process, ensure that you are appropriately positioned before God. Seek His presence. Pray Psalm 139:23–24. For better results, I highly recommend doing this process with a mature disciple of Christ or, better yet, a spiritual mentor. Please seek a spiritual life coach or a Christian counselor for the hard-core issues.

When we are sincere, open, and vulnerable before God and our mentor, God is ready to heal that area in our lives. Feel free to use the “Worksheet” from Addendum A. https://urfm.org/valys-blog 

Conclusions

Rest assured that the Holy Spirit works diligently to reveal the truth to our hearts. The Lord desires each of His disciples to find freedom, experience joy, and live in victory. 

If we are willing and determined to cooperate with His plan, He is ready to work in our lives more than we could ever imagine. 

Paul writes: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Moreover:

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Robert McGee concludes his book with these words:

This will be a process. It will only occur as we are willing to go to a deeper level in our relationship with Him. There will be struggles and many failures along the way. However, the Father does not get tired of being there to bring us to victory. The only question is, Are we willing to go with Him?[1]

I pray and believe that you will embark on the Journey Within, and will experience a level of freedom, victory, and joy like never before. So, may the Holy Spirit walk alongside you from start to finish. May God bless you and assist you in the process of growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

Valy Vaduva

Spiritual Mentor/Life Coach/Autor

© 2016, 2017, 2023 by Valy Vaduva and URFM

Endnotes

[1] Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan), 2006, 19.

[2] Robert S. McGee, “The Search for Significance”, (Nashville, TN, Thomas Nelson, 1998, 2003), p. 14.

[3] Lie. www.merriam-webster.com. Accessed on February 23, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie#dictionary-entry-3.

[4] Joan Stiles and Terry L. Jernigan, “The Basics of Brain Development.” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed on June 24, 201. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989000/.

[5] Rujuta Pradhan, “How Fast Can The Human Brain Process Images?” Last Updated On: 5 Nov 2022. www.scienceabc.com. Accessed on February 24, 2023. https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/how-fast-can-the-human-brain-process-images.html.

[6] Valy Vaduva, The Journey of Transformation: Becoming Like Christ Through Spiritual Metamorphosis. (URFM, Livonia, MI, 2020). To obtain your copy go here https://amzn.to/3nB4aR7.

[7] Valy Vaduva, Fullness of Christ: Expressing God’s Nature and Character in and through you. (URFM, Livonia, MI, 2018).

[8] Robert S. McGee, “The Search for Significance”, (Nashville, TN, Thomas Nelson, 1998, 2003), p.141.

[9] McGee, p. 141, 142.

[10] Ibid, 142.

[11] See addendum: Wheel of Emotions.

Tracing Emotions to the Root Belief

[1] Plato's Apology (38a5-6) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_unexamined_life_is_not_worth_living)

[2] https://www.google.com/#q=examine&* (Accessed on March 12, 2017).

Conclusions

[1] McGee, p. 151.