One of the principles in psychological theory is an analysis and examination of self. The role of psychological counseling is to guide persons into a life of meaning and worth. Within Christian counseling, the main goal is to direct the life of an individual to the original purpose of Divine creation: “And God saw what He had made and said it was very good.” (Genesis 1) The idea is to remind the individual that God did not create him or her to negative but to positive: That the Creator had no ill intention to create creatures in order for them to live a life of misery, rather, that in declaring everything as GOOD, the creator intended benevolence for all that He made.
However, history is full of misery and human life is not a bed of roses! The Christian therapist then directs the attention of the individual to the other part of Divine process where the creator gave specific instructions to the first parents, “I give you all the plants of the field for food, but the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” (Genesis 1) The Bible says that the first parents decided to go against this requirement. It also says that God declared death (misery) as the consequence of breaking this rule. This punishment is well documented in Genesis 3.
If we hold that the Bible is the foundation of life, then we must also hold that the foundation of all human ills is failure to obey God. If this is true, then we can say that the key to human failure, any failure, including personal tragedies are based upon going against this original principle: Obey the Lord and what he has laid out in scripture, and He will guide you into a life of success; disobey Him and you will have a life of failure! Divine success however is not to be misrepresented as material success, rather, it is the state of having, “a peace that is beyond understanding.” Material wellbeing is not greater than this peace because those who seek material wealth are hoping that these will result in them having peace: Divine peace then is even greater!
If you examine your life, you will realize that all the failures are self-inflicted. Given that we live in a fallen world, failure to behold this fact results in our failure to live a life of GOOD! To succeed, one must understand what it is to fail. In my life, that which has been negative has been as a result of momentary diversion from the biblical path. As I celebrate Christmas, I am reminded that my first parents moved away from the path of the creator, and that this was the foundation of not only their failure, but of all human tragedy (failure).
Therefore, success is going back to the original intention within divine principle: Fellowship with our creator. It is here that the birth, death, and resurrection of Yesu Kristo became absolute. Every Christmas, I am reminded of the path to a failure free life. This reminder helps me examine my life and seek to live consistent with the original intention of, “and God saw that it was GOOD.” (Genesis) This GOOD is for me and if I remain within His intention, then failure is removed as an option in the New Year, and I have a peace that goes beyond understanding.
Behold the RAM of God that cleanses all failure! Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you!
Teddy Njoroge Kamau (Ph.D.)
HTBluff Associates
BBN TV
Diaspora Messenger Senior Columnist
