INTERNAL AFFAIRS

1. INTERNAL AFFAIRS HOW TO MEND A WOUNDED SOUL By Richard A. Davis

2. Returning to the USA in 2015after 16 years in Switzerland • A heavy dose of reverse culture shock! • Reuniting the family. • Settling in crazy Southern California. • Retiring to live as pensioners. • Being overwhelmed by media noise. • Finding a new church. • Making new friends…AND…

3. …Being hit by the tsunami of the 2016 Presidential Campaign. Yikes! • Learning how to avoid the Election Infection “The Separation of Church and Hate”  • 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV): • 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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

4. Three Good Questions • Question #1: How do I change the world? Settle for making a point instead of making a difference. • Follow the examples of Jesus and Paul to make your life and faith count. They were often at odds with religious people but worked to build bridges rather than walls. Why is grace threatening to religious folks? • They didn’t try to police the behavior of people outside of the circle of faith. Why do Christians fall into policing others? • They were committed to more than merely being against everything. (See Matthew 5:14-16 and Colossians 4:6)

5. Question #2: Who do I vote for? The seven decades of decline in America since WW2: -- The 1950s: Americans lost INNOCENCE -- The 1960s: Americans lost AUTHORITY -- The 1970s: Americans lost LOVE -- The 1980s: Americans lost VALUES -- The 1990s: Americans lost FAITH -- The 2000s: Americans lost SECURITY -- The 2010s: Americans lost HOPE We have abandoned God, leaving us lost, narcissistic, arrogant, and cynical. Worse yet, facts have been taken over by feelings. It is a form of mass hysteria.

6. How to speak to a hysterical soul • Listen patiently and relentlessly • Look for opportunities to slip in the truth.“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. However, you can give him salt (thirst).” • As you listen to others, try to discover the source of their emotional distress. How have they been hurt, and who has wounded them?

7. 15 emotions covered in Internal Affairs • Chapter 1: Abandonment • Chapter 2: Loneliness • Chapter 3: Depression • Chapter 4: Anger • Chapter 5: Grief • Chapter 6: Rebellion • Chapter 7: Inner Turmoil • Chapter 8: Impatience • Chapter 9: Illness • Chapter 10: Temptation • Chapter 11: Marital Problems • Chapter 12: Lack of Confidence • Chapter 13: Financial Anxiety • Chapter 14: Spiritual Mediocrity • Chapter 15: Time, Worry and Regret

8. Prologue Ours is an environment filled with: Enmity. Hostility. Super-sensitivity. It’s as if our country is in perpetual crisis mode—fearful, suspicious, and quick to overreact. It doesn’t matter which side of the divide you’re on, the emotional temperatures are boiling over. Respectful dialogue is a thing of the past. Objective journalism has succumbed to biased propaganda, and the media are driven by vanity, self-promotion, and ratings. The two forces behind our current culture war are human pride and lust for wealth and power, demons that have tormented our souls and dragged us into chaos ever since we populated the planet.

9. What is robbing us of our peace? External affairs are not robbing us of our peace, balance, and common sense, internal affairs are. What’s happening around us has merely exposed what’s happening within us. We have allowed the things over which we have no control to take control of our thoughts, moods, and emotions. Are we helpless victims? Or are there ways we can regain our composure and liberate our captive hearts? I believe we are not as lost as we “feel” like we are. There is hope. And that’s why I’ve written this book…to help us find our way to higher and firmer ground.

10. The paradox of being human • Just as medical science has yet to conquer the seemingly boundless frontier of the human brain, so it is in our relentless quest to understand the human soul. What complicated, paradoxical creatures we are! Fragile, but resilient. Habitual, but unpredictable. Sensible, but foolish. Prideful, but insecure. As it is in outer space, so it is in inner space: light and darkness coexist in competition. • It is not my intention to offer an answer book or set of strategies guaranteed to dismantle the psychological barriers that may be blocking your way.

11. Three lessons I’ve learned: Lesson #1: We should not trust our emotions. God has given us the capacity to feel for many reasons, primarily to experience the fullness of life and thrive, not merely survive. But feelings must never replace truth. While our emotions influence our decisions, they shouldn’t dictate them. Even though much of what follows involves the study of our emotions, my goal is to help protect you from being manipulated by yours.

12. Lesson #2 The primary—if not sole—purpose of life is relationships (both vertical and horizontal). The degree to which we find fulfillment in this world depends on the quality of our relationships, first with God (the vertical) and then with other people (the horizontal). If we fail in either or both of these relational directions, life isn’t worth living. From beginning to end, the relationships we establish in this life will determine our satisfaction here…and in the world to come.

13. Lesson #3 The only thing we have that is real and vital in life is the present moment. I will return to this in the Epilogue and give it special attention. How sad it is to squander energy on useless side-trips into the past—which is gone—or into the future—which isn’t here yet! If we get stuck in the past or obsess over the future, we suffer emotional damage and miss out on the wonders of every moment. Even though this should be obvious, we still seem to forget it.

14. Chapter 1: Abandonment • David’s story: abandonment and guilt • Emma’s story • Abandoned by God. Fact or feeling? • The power of an overbearing parent. • God as Father and Mother • Blaming our emotional wounds on God. Watch out! • Practical steps toward healing

15. Chapter 2: Loneliness • Katie’s tragic story • When loneliness becomes abnormal • Jesus, the solitary man • Blaming others versus taking responsibility • Attitude is EVERYTHING • Self-esteem and God-esteem • Remedies for loneliness

16. Chapter 3: Depression • A 21st century epidemic: grief + anger • My years in Belfast…personal darkness • The numerous forms of depression, from temporal to terminal • Intelligence, sensitivity, and depression • The fruits of depression: David, Isaiah, Luther, Mother Teresa, Lincoln, J.B. Phillips, et. al. • Therapies, treatments, and healing

17. Chapter 4: Anger • Anger and fear, the double demons • Perfectionism and a critical spirit • God’s righteous (holy) anger • Anger and the tongue: intentional words vs. careless words • Anger and justice • Angry “Christians” • Anger and gender differences • Richard’s Rules

18. Chapter 5: Grief • Ron’s story: devastation and restoration (Job) • Grief does not discriminate and in comes with ANY loss • The brighter side of the darkness: divine consolation, compassionate companions, growth and wisdom, the power of TIME • The power of brokenness • Hope as healer and the coming liberation

19. Chapter 6: Rebellion • Did Jesus start a rebellion? Was he a rebel? • Rebellion as a rite of passage (healthy rebellion) • Samuel, Saul, and consequences of rebellion • Personal rebellion: family, church, and society • The rebellious attitude: anti-authority (pride) • Spiritual disobedience: who is our master? • Rebellion in every season of life

20. Chapter 7: Inner Turmoil • Spiritual incongruity as dissidence • Hypocrisy: the good and the bad • Our addiction to popularity • A sign of God’s presence, not absence • Conscience: our inborn warning system • Sociopaths and psychopaths: the loss of inner turmoil • Walking with Christ without stepping on toes

21. Chapter 8: Impatience • “We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.” – Helen Keller • Waiting = long-suffering. Impatience as sinful anger. • Worry and anxiety come with waiting for something bad. Patience comes with waiting for something good. • Growing in patience requires growing up. • Boredom is the enemy of patience. • Patience, pride, pacing, and letting go of CONTROL. • Beware of the lust of stimulation.

22. Chapter 9: Illness • “Each patient carries his own doctor inside him.”―Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness • My Mayo Clinic maze and miracle (2007) • Why me? Why NOT me? Who and why does (or doesn’t) God heal? And what about death? • Trusting God: prevention vs. treatment • The story of the drowning pool in the jungle • Being ill within God’s will. Faith and consequences. • Illness and evil. How are they related? • Faith healers and fake healers

23. Chapter 10: Temptation • “There is always free cheese in a mouse trap.” – H.C. Diefenbach • Desire vs. temptation. Sin vs. addiction. • Do we enjoy the struggle? • Does God “lead us into temptation”? • Testing vs. tempting. Job and James. • Confronting my nephew’s thievery • Howard Hendricks’ “temptation trap” • Temptation and titillation: looking forward to giving in

24. Chapter 11: • “My wife has lived with at least five different men since we were wed—and each of the five has been me.” ― Lewis Smedes • “It’s more important to be the right person than to find the right person.” ― Dr. Shirley P. Glass • The divine design: marriage as sanctification • Swedes and Indians: compare and contrast • Intentional words = one of the keys (the tongue) • The Big C’s: Communication, Commitment, Control • Love & respect. Sex & selflessness. Mars & Venus.

25. Chapter 12: Lack of Confidence • “Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud.” – Source Unknown • Moses’ crisis of confidence (Exodus 3-4) • Christ as the model of confidence • Cockiness, competition, and insecurity • Infectious confidence • Liberation from fear through humility and transparency • Beth’s story and Jairus’ daughter • The slippery slope from failure to despair • Paul’s journey from pathological confidence to Christ-centered confidence: the sacred paradox = I am nothing, but God is everything

26. Chapter 13: Financial Anxiety • “You cannot serve both God and money.” ― Matthew 6:24  • “As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all. The trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.” ―J. K. Rowling • Using money vs. usury money • Materially rich but spiritually poor? Wealth and faith. • Capitalism vs. Socialism. Was Jesus a socialist? • Money and the human heart. How much is “just enough”? • “One generation’s luxury is the next generation’s necessity.” • Learning to give, and learning to receive. Both provide joy. • What do we really deserve? Gratitude is a godly trait.

27. Chapter 14: Spiritual Mediocrity • “We don't want to think about our weaknesses…or talk about them, and we certainly don't want anyone else to point them out. This is a classic sign of mediocrity, and this mediocrity has a firm grip on the Church and humanity at this moment in history.” • “I know your deeds…because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” ― Revelation 3:15-16 • Feeling jaded (cynicism) is spiritual illness. • Institutional religion may produce tepid faith. • Comfort can be very dangerous to the soul. • When and why does God remove His Spirit? • Satan is the master of mediocrity. • What are the signs of spiritual vitality?

28. Chapter 15: Time, Worry and Regret • The dynamics of regret & worry are identical; both are useless distractions that can disable us. • The two leading time paradigms: Eastern (Oriental) and Western (Occidental) – Cyclical vs. Linear • The biblical paradigm combines both. • Do we control time? Or does time control us? • Time is the 4th dimension, created by, and transcended by the Creator, who exists in the eternal NOW. • Our priorities are revealed in our bank statements and our daily schedules. • Our external investments expose our inner values. • Living between the “then” and the “when” is all about RELATIONSHIPS. This is the ultimate meaning of life!

29. Chapter 16: You Gotta Serve Somebody • “You are what you do, not what you say you'll do.” – Carl Gustav Jung • “The fruit of Love is service. The fruit of Service is peace.” – Mother Teresa • Life is the sum total of the decisions we make based on who (or what) we obey and serve. • Subjection can be liberation, as in marriage. • Gerald Sittser’s six steps for discerning God’s will…and then cooperating with it.

30. The Epilogue • First, beware of those who allow their feelings to drown out the facts. Their voices are loud and seductive. Don’t believe them. Facts should always hold sway over feelings. • Second, trust your intuition and never lose your common sense. Fear is rampant today. And fear is a breeding ground for exploitation. Protect your mind and heart from the exploiters. They feast on your feelings. Stay focused on the bigger truths and you won’t get hung up on little lies. God is still in control…and always has been.

31. Daniel 12:4 • This passage describes the scenario on earth during the final days as a time when “many will [be going] here and there to increase knowledge.” • Could this be the Internet and Globalism (worldwide travel and inter-connectedness)? • We live in an era of exponential change. Are we approaching the point of no return? • And, if so, what are we as believers to do?

32. The Three Great Truths • For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 • What is faith? The inherited fruit of the past. • What is hope? The promised fruit of the future. • What is love? The living fruit of the present. • Feelings are not fruitful. Only the fact of God’s love can produce fruit in us daily…and into eternity.