COMMENTARY

Don Atkin

PARADIGMS, PERCEPTIONS AND EMOTIONS

Paradigms power perceptions, and perceptions power emotions. Most emotions are responses to perception – what you think is true about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false, too. So check your perceptions, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms – what you believe. Just because you believe something firmly doesn’t make it true. Be willing to examine what you believe. The more you live in the truth, the more your emotions will help you see clearly. But even then, you don’t want to trust them more than Me. (From page 197 of "The Shack," a novel by William P. Young.)

Do you trust in your emotions? Are your emotions connected to your perceptions? And, are your perceptions based in a particular paradigm for church (or life itself)?

When we live our lives based upon paradigms and perceptions we tend to separate (at least emotionally) from others whose paradigms and perceptions differ. Emotions stand between heart-to-heart, spirit-to-spirit fellowship (koinonia). Our perception changes when our belief system embraces a new paradigm, and we become emotionally separated from those with whom we walked. We gravitate to the "latest and greatest revelation," and walk with those who share our perceptions (and paradigm).

What’s wrong with this picture?

These are denominational mind sets! The one true church of Jesus Christ is made up of all who receive Him as Lord, regardless of their paradigms or perceptions. We are to embrace one another in His holy love (which has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us).

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. – I John 4:7-8.

Here’s a clue: Our capacity to love others is limited to how much of God’s love we have received for ourselves.

Let’s learn to live life loved!

Let’s get over the limitations of paradigms, perceptions and emotions, and begin to rightly discern the Lord’s body.

For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. – I Corinthians 11:29-30.

For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. – I Corinthians 10:17.