Stretching Toward Better Health

A wonderful thing happened to me along my path to recovery from an injury, in 2023:  I decided to become a better steward of my health—body, mind, and spirit.  During that June, I injured by back while lifting a heavy solar battery.  The pain in my lumbar region was not new but it persisted.  So, I made an appointment with Dr. Bryce Chaffee, MD, Chiropractic Specialist.  Dr. Chaffee and his wife Tami are co-founders of Paragon Physical Medicine here in Wooster, OH.

The Stretching Began
During my first appointment with Dr. Chaffee, he utilized full-body X-rays and manipulation of my legs and fingers to identify three lower lumbar vertebrae with swollen discs.  He used this assessment to propose a plan which consisted of three visits per week for ten weeks. 

Each visit involved about 45 minutes of stretching routines under the direction of Dr. Chaffee’s capable staff.  Then, he provided chiropractic adjustments and polite encouragement to become more disciplined based on his faith-based, holistic view of human health.  During some of my visits, I received injections into various joints containing an extract from the Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea).  This formulation, aptly named Sarapin¹, is known to relieve musculoskeletal pain and inflammation. 

As my rigorous regimen of appointments became a significant part of my summer schedule, three changes began to occur.  First, I experienced relief from the pain in my lower back, legs, and knees.  Second, I became interested in the various bodily stretches to which I was subjected.  I decided to incorporate some of them into my daily routine during my off days.  And third, I began to study the causes of spinal problems. 

I was surprised to read that “an estimated 70–90% of all people in the US will suffer at least one back injury in their lives. Up to 25% become chronic.”  This statistic² was given by Dr. Richard Porter, emeritus professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.  I wondered how this could be if our bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139: 14).  

Some of us do not have the slightest of back problems while others are plagued from an early age.  Could it be our heredity?  Maybe our problems come from faults in the divine design of God; or, from a failure of Darwinian evolution to adjust the human posture properly as it became upright from our quadruped ancestors.  Or could our skeletomuscular problems be the result of sin and the curse upon creation?  Maybe our back problems are the result of our own lack of stewardship of the bodies with which we were born?  Let’s briefly examine each of these possibilities.

Blame It on Heredity?
There is no doubt we each begin our lives with differences in many genetic traits including those affecting our skeletal system.  Some people inherit congenital defects while others begin life with bones, joints, and postures that are prone to injury.  From a faith perspective, we are not given to understand why some of us are blessed to inherit better health than others.  However, we must remember the words of the Apostle Paul when explained why we should not to be “puffed up” (prideful): 
For who makes you different from anyone else?
What do you have that you did not receive?
And if you did receive it,
why do you boast as though you did not?
                                      - 2 Corinthians 4: 7

Given that our health is partly influenced by our heredity, the challenge for us is to be humbly thankful for what we have received and good stewards of our bodies and health.  We will return to this principle after we consider other possible reasons for skeletomuscular problems.

Blame It on Evolution?
Evolutionary biologists face a challenging dilemma when it comes to explaining the supposed evolution of the human skeletal system.  On the one hand, they are challenged to explain how the amazing assemblage of interconnected bones (206 bones in the adult human; 270 at birth)³ [See HERE.] could have evolved by undirected natural causes instead of by intelligent design⁴ [Click HERE].  On the other hand, evolutionary biologists must explain the pain and suffering humans frequently encounter from the spinal column, knees, and shoulders. 

Evolutionary scientists offer a creative way to address this apparent contradiction between “evolution is amazing” and “evolution is imperfect.” For example, anthropologist Matt Cartmill explains that evolution “doesn’t ‘design’ anything.” ⁵ Instead, it must progress slowly using the genes and traits it has available.  So, instead of yielding perfection, evolution “acts to yield function.”  In other words, evolution could have given us a much better skeletal system but it had to work with already evolved skeletal structures in our ape-like ancestors.  [But isn’t Dr. Cartmill ignoring the well-established biological principle that form and function are complementary?  What do you think?]

Anthropologist Jeremy DeSilva gives an example that applies Cartmill’s claim.^{5, 6}  In his presentation, “Starting Off on the Wrong Foot,” DeSilva reasons that the requirements of the human foot; namely, to provide a stable platform and a propulsive lever, are only partially satisfied by evolutionary modification from the grasping foot of our supposed tree-climbing primate ancestors.  Similarly, anthropologist and anatomist Bruce Latimer at Case Western Reserve University blames the painful problem of our achy backs on the poor evolutionary transition of the spine from the quadruped (four-footed animal) skeletal system to that of humans who are upright bipeds.

Extended a bit further, “evolution logic” is used to refute intelligent design.  This claim suggests that our supposed human skeletal flaws and frailties are evidence that our human skeleton could not have been intelligently designed.  Seems that evolutionary biologists want to have it both ways.  To learn more about the notion of “Scars of Evolution or of a Sin-Cursed World?”, click HERE.

But wait!  Is our skeletal system, spinal column in particular, really a poorly formed primate version carried over from supposed quadruped ancestors?  Not so, says Dr. Richard Porter, emeritus professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.  Porter believes the human spine is “among the most ingeniously designed structures to be found anywhere?” ²   

The scope of the debates between evolutionary scientists and creation/intelligent design scientists is too broad to fully address in this blog.  However, the literature we have reviewed and referenced below provides strong evidence for intelligent design expressed by reputable scientists and practitioners in the field of orthopedics.  The table below provides a sampling of the contrasting logic of the two worldviews.

Blame It on the Curse of Creation?
Beginning in Genesis, the inspired revelation in the Scriptures supports a creation and intelligent design explanation for what we see in our world.  Genesis 1-3 gives the account of a perfect creation with perfect humans created by God and to whom God gave the responsibility to exercise dominion and stewardship over His creation.  Instead, they acted on their God-given free will to rebel against the order of God’s creation, and the consequence was a curse upon them and upon creation (Genesis 3). 

The results of the curse included expulsion from the Garden of Eden and gradual shortening of the longevity of human life as we can read in the carefully recorded and preserved biblical records of the lives of Adam and Eve and their descendants.  It is hard to refute the claim that sin and resultant moral and physical corruption has taken a toll on human health, including every organ and system of our bodies.  Instead of “evolution” to greater and greater intelligence and perfection, we have witnessed “devolution” which continues today biologically, spiritually, and intellectually.  The “design flaws” of the human skeletal system can now be understood more clearly in the context of the sin-cursed creation in which we live.  Thankfully, for those who place their faith in Christ, the downward spiral of our cursed creation has been thwarted by Christ’s victory over sin and death (Romans 8) which Christians celebrate each Easter.

A Call to Stewardship of our Health
The genes we inherit operate within the context of our experience of living in a sin-cursed world where our bodies deteriorate and eventually, we die.  However, the Gospel of Christ calls us to live in the hope of His return; and because of His promise, we are looking for New Heavens and a New Earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3: 13).  But the hope of an eternal Heaven does not mean we can be careless about our health while we live on this Earth.

If we are Christ-followers, we must realize that our current health condition is both a consequence of past events and a call for responsible stewardship.  Our health is a consequence of two factors: our heredity and the environment.  Some of us have been exposed to work or recreational environments that have produced skeletomuscular injuries.  For example, some of our dearest friends now suffer injuries during their athletic careers during which they were devoted to the disciplines of conditioning, winning, and enjoying the opportunity to thrill their parents and peers in the stands.  Painful consequences, yes!  But still many have learned how to compensate and respond to the call to be stewards of their health. 

Regardless of our current state of health, God calls us to exercise stewardship of our bodies at every stage of life (emphasis added):

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
within you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own,
for you were bought with a price.
So, glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

This command of Scripture is broadly stated because God entrusts us with a good judgment to discern how we ought to steward our health, both physical and spiritual.  Our life in Christ with His Spirit living in us ought to empower us to manage our physical and spiritual health through proper nutrition, hydration, work, play, exercise, rest, reading, worship of God, serving others, and sleep—all done as unto our Lord (Colossians 3: 17, 23).  Depending on the consequences of our heredity and past injuries or illnesses, it may be more or less difficult to manage all of these in proper balance, but God only calls us to strive with the health and well-being we have. 

In my case, with proper chiropractic help, a mild back injury was not only relieved but it led to an improvement in my overall skeletomuscular health.  Dr. Chaffee’s request for a full-body X-ray revealed that my lower lumbar vertebrae were affected.  He concluded that I was on a path toward deterioration of the lumbar vertebrae and the disks that serve to cushion between them.  Dr. Chaffee also recognized my spinal scoliosis, a lateral (or side-to-side) curvature of my spinal column.  In addition, the X-ray image of my colon suggested that my intestinal microflora would be helped by regular ingestion of a probiotic supplement.  Finally, we discussed my protein intake and concluded that a regular supplement of a whey protein formulation along with careful attention to maintaining good hydration would be helpful.  I have incorporated these recommendations in to my daily routine and developed a regular regimen of stretching exercises.  I am convinced of the value of the holistic approach offered by the chiropractic profession.

A Stretching Plan for Stewardship of our Health
An unexpected result of my chiropractic visits and follow-up with the helpful stretches, nutrition, and hydration has been my opportunities to encourage others who have skeletomuscular problems.  However, I recommend starting with a visit to a good chiropractor, especially for serious problems.  [Of course, I recommend Dr. Chaffee for those who live near Wooster, Ohio.]  When friends ask what kind of stretching exercises I use, they are difficult to describe.  When I mentioned this to Dr. Chafee, he urged me to lay aside my modesty and fear of not offering a good example, and produce some videos of my stretch routines.

Stretching Videos:
We are in the process of producing a series of videos, one for each day of a 3-day rotation that we are currently using.  Each video offers an abbreviated demonstration of each of the stretches.  We also provide a compressed view of the spreadsheet we use to check off each stretching exercise in the sequence I follow.  [Click on Table to enlarge.]
Day 1 Stretching Exercises - Click HERE. 
Day 2 Stretching Exercises - Click HERE.
Day 3 Stretching Exercises - Click HERE.

Leave a Comment:
We invite readers who have questions or suggestions to respond using the “Comment” link below.  Stay tuned to see links to more videos.

References:
¹ “Sarapin:  Dynamic Pain Rehabilitation.”  2020.  Click HERE.
² Jonathan Sarfati. 2002. “Standing Up for Creation.” Creation 25(1):25–27.  Click HERE.
₃ “How Many Bones Are in the Human Body?”  2024.  Science Notes.   Click HERE.[JS1] 
⁴ “Creation’s Complexity Can Be Convicting.” Oikonomia, March 13, 2020.  Click HERE.
⁵ “Scars of Evolution or of a Sin-Cursed World?” Answers in Genesis.  News to Note, March 2, 2013  Click HERE.
⁶ Jeremy DeSilva. 2013. “Starting Off on the Wrong Foot,” AAAS.  Click HERE.
⁷ Paul E. Leimkuehler. 2013. “Human Foot and Ankle Versus Prosthetic Foot/Ankle Mechanism Function,” American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists.  Click HERE.
⁸ R. Smail.  1990. “Oh my aching back!” Creation 12(4):20–21.  Click HERE.

Acknowledgements:
Our thanks to Dr. Bryce Chaffee for his part in my healing and for his encouragement to overcome my sense of modesty to create the YouTube videos of stretching exercises that we hope will be helpful to others.  Thanks also to Anna, Matt, Courtenay, and Wendy for working with me through the stretching exercises; to Melissa for administering the Sarapin, and to Jaycee and Olivia for cheerfully handling scheduling and insurance matters.  Finally, our thanks to Nathanael Davis, Assistant Professor of Library Science, Cedarville University, for his assistance in searching the literature on the human spine.

---

 [JS1]

Choosing Our Leaders by Looking Beneath “Politics”

On July 4, we celebrated the 248^th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence.  Now our attention is focused on the candidates for the 2024 presidential election.  This year’s presidential campaign is shaping up to be very unusual, especially following a failed assassination attempt against one of the candidates; and then, the decision of his opponent not to run for a second term.  In addition, one of the candidates is the defendant in multiple court indictments.  These circumstances have caused many of us to ask, “What are the qualifications for good presidential leadership?”

Certainly, an effective president must be a good leader.  But what kind of leader do we need?  What kind of experience prepares a person to take on the most powerful position in the world?  How important are character and integrity?  Does our nation, especially our armed forces, need a president who inspires us to follow him—to even die for him?  Do we need a president who can serve our country with the qualities of a godly pastor, elder, or priest?  One who can comfort us in times of national tragedy?

Why Should I Care?
While many Americans try to stay informed of the candidates and the electoral process, over one-third of adult American citizens did not cast a vote for president in 2020 (Read more HERE.).  Reasons include apathy, preoccupation with “more important things,” lack of enthusiasm for either candidate, and distrust of government.   According to the Pew Research Center, public trust in government has fallen from 77% in 1964 to 22% in 2024!  So why should Americans care and participate in our democratic process?

Unlike the billions of people on Earth at present and those multitudes throughout history living under the rule of one or a few and without representation, we Americans are blessed to live in a democratic republic.  It has been said that, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing."  We need only to look into our inner cities or read the news that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49 to realize that evil is still triumphing.  Practically speaking, we have much reason to be actively involved in the electoral process.  The Bible adds even more justification.

Proverbs 24: 10-12 challenges us as follows:

If you are slack in the day of distress,
            Your strength is limited.
Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
            And those who are staggering to slaughter,
            Oh hold them back.
If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
            Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
            And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
            And will He not render to man according to his work?

After the city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, the Prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from  Jerusalem to the Jewish captives living in the city of Babylon.  He challenged them to build homes, have families, and pray for the welfare of the pagan government ruling over them.  The following excerpt from the prophet’s letter should convince us why we too cannot afford to be apathetic and uninvolved as citizens of our representative government:

… work for the peace and well-being of the city
where I sent you into exile.
Pray to the LORD for it,
for its well-being will determine your well-being.
                                              - Jeremiah 29: 7

This Old Testament command to the people of God to respect government authority and pray for our rulers whom God has placed in authority reappears in the church age.  Both the Apostle Paul (Romans 13: 1-8; 1 Timothy 2: 1-8; Titus 3: 1-8) and the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 2: 13-17) emphasize that the welfare of God’s people and the flourishing of the Gospel of Christ depends upon our rendering to government what we owe.  In Jesus’s words, we should “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God (Mark 12: 17).” 

If you are not convinced of the importance of your biblical responsibility, we respect your opinion.  We struggle with toxicity of our current political world, too. Maybe we can all take heart from a biblical viewpoint presented by Andrew T. Walker [See HERE, and LEFT sidebar.]  We might even wish someone like our pastor or priest could be cloned and put into public office.

Why Not Elect a Pastor?
Understandably, there are many people of religious persuasion that love their pastors, elders, or priests.  These spiritual leaders are called to live and lead by adherence to strict biblical standards of moral and ethical purity.  Not surprisingly, many voters are inclined to hold presidential candidates to the same standards of spiritual excellence as they apply when choosing a pastor.  Some will refuse to support a candidate whom they would deem unfit to serve as a spiritual leader. 

The Scriptures in 1 Timothy 3: 2-7, Titus 1: 6-8, and 1 Peter 5: 2-3 describe the character qualities of an honest and loving shepherd-leader of a local church.  But must the chief executive of the federal government of the United States as established under our Constitution also meet these standards?  We suggest that the answer is “Yes,” and “No.”   

It seems clear that the responsibilities of our Chief Executive in managing the many agencies of the Executive Branch of the federal government require a much broader range of qualifications than does pastoral leadership of a local church.  On the other hand, a person who is experienced in living by the biblical qualifications for leading a local church would bring strong character and integrity to the Office of the President.  How can we reconcile these realities? 

The church and the federal government represent two different spheres of authority.   The president “implements and enforces the laws, appoints the Cabinet and other federal officials, and conducts diplomacy and foreign affairs (whitehouse.gov).”  In contrast, pastoral leadership focuses more on matters of the spirit, soul, and body within the church, the spiritual body of Christ.  A pastor’s responsibility is to promote spiritual transformation and growth in individuals, families, and the local community.  Bottom line, even if a godly pastor or elder was elected President of the U.S., he or she would face a tremendous learning curve in order to accomplish the duties of the Office. 

Historically, most successful candidates have entered the presidency equipped with prior experience as lawyers, military leaders, business entrepreneurs, farmers, or teachers.  James A. Garfield was our only president who had served as a pastor of a church.  But he also was a military general and served 9 terms in the U.S. House.  Like Garfield, most candidates entered the presidency through successfully serving in local and state offices, and in the U.S. House or Senate.

We believe that our American government which was founded on Judeo-Christian principles should be led by presidents who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and who behave and lead according to biblical principles.  As one writer has explained, “Jesus is the ultimate leader, …whole and complete within Himself.”  Jesus Christ is Prophet, our perfect Authority Figure and Guide (Acts 3: 17-23); our perfect High Priest (Hebrews 4: 14-16), the compassionate Intercessor and Advocate; and our ultimate, eternal King (Luke 1: 32-33). 

And so, we ask our bold question:  Even though pastors and presidents are called to lead in two different spheres of authority, would it be wrong to apply biblical qualifications for good pastoral leadership to identify a qualified candidate for the presidency?  We decided to pursue this line of reasoning.  What resulted is a guide to help us and our readers choose the most qualified presidential candidate to hold office.

Qualification Check-List
We have grouped biblical qualifications of a pastor into seven categories.  We present them below in a format suitable for readers to evaluate the fitness of this year’s presidential candidates for the office of President of the United States.

1. Personal Integrity

The candidate for president “…must be of such a character that no one could bring a reasonable accusation against him.  Blameless must be his life, spotless his name (Ellicott’s Commentary on Titus 1: 6).”  But could any candidate for president or the pastorate meet this standard?  We don’t think so!  Only one Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, could meet this standard.  Those who have surrendered to Christ and have His Holy Spirit abiding in them as Counsellor and Helper.  Only those who are Spirit-led will readily yield to His promptings against sin.  They are quick to confess and repent of thoughts and actions that are not pleasing to our Father God.  The Apostle Paul wrote of his own tendencies toward sin (Romans 7: 7-25).  He confessed, “not that I have already attained [perfection]…but I press on… (Philippians 3: 12),” trying to “do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before other people (Acts 24: 16). 

As Americans, we have been blessed to elect several presidents who demonstrated great spiritual maturity; and even they reportedly grew and matured in comparison with their early years.  [Read more HERE.]
Question: Based on what you have read and learned about the candidates for 2024, which has demonstrated the greatest testimony of personal honesty, humility, and moral integrity under the tests of public scrutiny?

2. Devoted Leader, Country Above Self
The Office of President has been called “the highest office in the land.” Yet, like all who are elected to public office, the President is a “public servant.”  Therefore, neither a pastor nor a president without personal integrity can be a “servant of the people.”  First Timothy 3: 3, Titus 1: 7, and 1 Peter 5: 2 each caution pastors against being motivated by the “love of money.” 

Far from being motivated by a greed for power, prestige, or material gain, both pastor and president must rather be driven by love and devotion toward the ones they serve.  
Question: Do you think it is possible to distinguish a candidate who seeks public office out of devotion to country and not for personal gain?  What evidence do you see in each candidate that they really care about the well-being of Americans and our country?

3. Prior Experience
Any time a position needs to be filled in any organization, applicants are interviewed and their prior experience becomes a major consideration.  Their resume and recommendations are primary indicators of whether they are prepared to be successful if appointed or elected.
According to 1 Timothy 3: 6, the candidate selected should not be a novice.
Question: Which presidential candidate has the most proven leadership experience in domestic and foreign affairs?

4. Self-Control (Temperate) – gentle, not quick-tempered
Both 1 Timothy 3: 3 and Titus 1: 7 state that a pastor must exercise self-control as evidenced in gentleness and patience in dealing with those whom they serve.  Although the situations in a local church are quite different from those faced by a U.S. President, self-control is an important leadership trait in any context.  Both churches and nations have fallen because of leaders who have been self-willed, quick-tempered, and even violent.  This trait along with prior experience (above) is especially important when our presidents deal with Congress or confront foreign leaders in tense situations.
Question:  Which candidate has demonstrated the most consistent self-control during tense or frustrating situations?  Has either candidate completed challenging negotiations with foreign leaders resulting in favorable outcomes?

5. Earns Respect
According to 1 Timothy 3: 7, a pastor must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.  Both churches and nations ought to value their reputations to outsiders.  Both pastors and presidents represent a “face“ of the people they serve; and therefore, must uphold the reputation of the institutions they are leading, whether church or nation.
Question:  Which presidential candidate has most consistently earned your respect?  The respect of foreign leaders?

6. Testimony of the Family
When churches and nations elect a leader, they often gain an affection toward the leader’s family.  Both pastors and presidents who demonstrate a loving relationship with their spouse and children have a great asset.  First Timothy 3 addresses the testimony of the pastor as a husband (v. 3) and as a leader in his home (v. 4-5):  He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?
Question:  As you observe the marriage and family relationships of the presidential candidates, which gives the most clear evidence of good management of their households?

7. A Shepherding President
Perhaps there is no more endearing metaphor for God, or Jesus Christ, or pastors of churches than the term “shepherd.”  The word “pastor” is derived from the Latin noun, pastor.  The Latin verb pascere means, "to lead to pasture, set to grazing."  Jesus said, I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep (John 10: 11). God’s plan for the “church age” is that each local body of Christ-followers would be under the leadership of one or more pastor-shepherds who serve in the Spirit-filled power and example of Jesus Christ.   The Apostle Paul challenged the pastors at Ephesus, Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20: 28). 

Like sheep, both members of churches and citizens of nations can easily be spooked when danger comes.  During fearful times, Americans have looked for strong, steady, and compassionate shepherding both within churches and in government.  When you think of “shepherding presidents,” perhaps men like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt come to mind.  Ronald Reagan is noted for his calming and comforting words both when the crew of the space shuttle Challenger were killed during the fateful launch, and when he wrote his letter to comfort Americans with the news of his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Question:  How important is it to you that your president provide strong, assuring, and caring leadership when our nation faces trouble?  Which presidential candidate seems best equipped to “shepherd” America when she faces stormy waters?

Now It’s Up to You
In this blog, we have focused on leadership qualities without mentioning candidate names or their positions on important issues facing our nation.  However, in a later blog entitled, "What If You Could Interview the Candidates?" we contrast the positions of the two leading presidential candidates on ten (10) important social and political issues.
[Click HERE to read.]

The stakes of our upcoming presidential election are too high for any of us to fall into apathy. We should be sure to become informed and participate in the electoral process by voting for both president and for down-ballot candidates.  We also noted that the biblical qualifications for pastor are worth considering for any position of leadership; and therefore, can serve as an aid to deciding who is most deserving of the Office of the President, or of other political offices.

We invite you to respond with your questions and Comments using the comment link below.  Please don’t think we have all the answers.  That is why your comments are valuable.  Meanwhile, we need to pray for a spiritual awakening (2 Chronicles 7: 14) in our hearts and in the hearts of Americans, for God’s protection and provision of the well-being of our country, and for God’s Spirit to work in the candidates of our upcoming election.

Learning to Know Ourselves: 3. True, Lasting Inclusion

“All who want to come are welcome.”
“We hope you can join us.”
“Everyone received a warm welcome.”
“Now you are one of us.  We love you.”

We.  All.  Everyone.  Us.  Hearing these words is refreshing to the soul, especially when they come to us with an invitation to be included.  We are overjoyed when we are included because we are creatures who need relationships.  We long to be wanted, valued, needed, and accepted.  The blessing of being in a relationship with friends or within marriage, family, church, or other organizations is an essential part of human life. 

"I" Trouble Harms Relationships
Yet forging good relationships and sustaining them is not easy.  We are flawed individuals, prone to the sins of pride, selfishness, narcissism, and greed in the pursuit of prestige, power, and material gain.  All of us tend toward these and other self-exalting sins.  As someone has said, “We have ‘I’ trouble.”  

When a person has ‘I’ trouble, their healthy desire for admiration and respect becomes distorted into an unhealthy notion that “I am” worthy to receive adulation and worship.  This distortion affects self-awareness.  Instead of a modest view of who “I am,” we begin to believe, “I am really somebody!

When individuals with a self-centered perspective enter social relationships, their selfish orientation creates disunity and conflicts.  Conflict is certain between individuals who demand special respect and those who, for whatever reason, rightly or wrongly, do not give special honor to those they deem to be prideful and self-serving.  For example, those who boast of their resume may be offended by the lack of adulation from others who judge people in ways other than by their glowing resume.  Similar conflict may arise when those who view their gender identity as the core of their identity encounter others who simply choose to treat everyone respectfully regardless of gender identity but happen to err by not using gender inclusive pronouns.  [For more on gender identity, go to Part 2 of this series, “The Primary Pronoun.”  Click HERE.]

In view of the current cultural conflicts over the meaning of sexuality, gender, and gender pronouns, the focus of this article is upon what we will call “truly inclusive pronouns.”  These are pronouns that convey a welcome from a higher Source inviting us to be included. Truly inclusive pronouns include All… Whoever… Everyone...  But first, let’s return to our ‘I’ trouble and the most important prescription for correction.

The best cure for “I trouble,” an obsession with self, is for each of us is to work on gaining a healthy self-awareness—i.e. to learn to know “who I am.”  A healthy self-knowledge is a foundation for the social graces necessary to forge meaningful and lasting relationships.  For example, we express “I am” statements when we begin to build a new relationship:
"I am John."
“I am pleased to meet you.”
"I am sorry."
"I am the smartest."
"I am going to do ____ (a promised action)."

Our “I am” statements often reveal how well we know ourselves and how comfortable we are with our personal identity.  These in turn affect our attitude toward others.  Thankfully, we have great news if we are uncomfortable expressing our personal identity. 

Relationship with ‘I AM,” Reveals Who “I am”
As we explained in Part 2 of “Learning to Know Ourselves” [Click HERE to read.), God is continually and clearly revealing His identity through His Word and His creation (Romans 1: 19-20).  He also reveals Himself through His Name, JEHOVAH, or LORD.  The Name LORD is translated, “I AM,” meaning God is the “ever-present, eternally existent One.”

In the Old Testament, Moses asked God what name he should use for the One who was commissioning him to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you (Exodus 3: 14).’”  Moses’s burning bush encounter began a 40-year relationship with God in which Moses grew to realize his own true identity as a man and as a leader.  Moses gradually learned to declare more boldly “I am who I am” because He was learning to know, obey, and love Jehovah, “I AM.”

In his book, The Gift of Being Yourself:  The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery, David G. Benner wrote [p.27]:

People who have never developed a deep personal knowing of God will be limited in the depth of their personal knowing of themselves.  Failing to know God, they will be unable to know themselves, as God is the only context in which their being makes sense.  Similarly, people who are afraid to look deeply at themselves will of course be equally afraid to look deeply at God.  For such persons, ideas about God provide a substitute for direct experience of God.

Benner then claims that “knowing God and knowing self are interdependent.”   He writes that neither of these can proceed very far without the other.  Paradoxically, we come to know God best not by looking at God exclusively, but by looking at God and then looking at ourselves-- then looking at God, and then again looking at ourselves.   This is also the way we best come to know our selves.  Both God and self are mostly fully known in relationship to each other.

Benner’s claim that “both God and self are mostly fully known in relationship to each other” is worthy of more careful analysis.  First, let us look more closely at God’s Name and character.

God: Always and Forever, “I AM”
Most proper names are nouns but God’s Name, “I AM,” is a form of the verb, “to be.”  God always “has been,” He is now “being,” and He always “will be.”  Past, present, future, God is alive, ever-present, all powerful, all knowing, faithfully loving, and actively sustaining His creation.  As such, God is continually and actively pursuing an intimate relationship with us, inviting us to worship Him who alone is worthy (see John 4: 23-24).  Speaking of God’s name and character, we should make two applications to our walk of faith.

First, if God is all knowing, ever present, perfectly loving, and continually pursuing relationship with us; then, instead of running away in fear or hiding our identity from Him, we ought to run to God with confidence in Him and reverence for Him at the privilege of abiding in His love.  What’s more, because God is perfectly holy and self-sufficient, He doesn’t need us.  But if this claim is true, how would God know the experience of relationships if we didn’t exist?  The answer brings us to our second application.

God taught the children of Israel through Moses that He is “One God” (Deuteronomy 6: 4): “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”  God existed in eternity past before there was anyone or anything else.  The very first words of the Bible are, “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1: 1).  But if God is One, how can “God alone” have any “experience” in forming relationships?  The answer comes when we study the Scriptures.  There, we learn that God is One, yet He reveals Himself in three Persons in perfect relationship:  Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit.

God in Three Persons: Perfect Relationship
All the way back to the creation of mankind, the Bible reveals a conversation within the Holy trinity.  Genesis 1: 26a reveals the harmony and purpose of God among the three Persons of the Triune God (emphasis added): “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness….”  The Scriptures elaborate much on the work of each Person of the trinity.

While He was on Earth, Jesus Christ who is God the Son in human form was described as the radiance of [God the Father’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1: 3).  There was never a question in Jesus’s mind about His true identity and mission in revealing the nature of His Father.  As God in the flesh, Jesus often expressed Himself with "I am" statements—e.g. “I am the light of the world” (John 9: 5); and, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father but by Me (John 14: 6).” 

There was never any barrier between God the Father and God the Son except when Jesus was bearing our sin on the Cross.  [NOTE: The prior sentence is poorly worded.  See "Comment" below from a reader.] In fact, in His prayer to God the Father, Jesus declares the very definition of eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent (John 17: 3).”  If we really want to live a meaningful life with meaningful relationships, we must yield in obedient relationship with God and Jesus Christ whom God sent to redeem us.

Of course, the Holy Spirit was involved in every aspect of the relationship and work of the Father and the Son.  Genesis 1: 2 records that early in creation, “…the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  The Holy Spirit was also involved in the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus.  When He began His public ministry on Earth, Jesus was “filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4: 1),” and the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead as Victor over sin and death (Romans 8: 11).  

Jesus’s ministry from start to finished was empowered by the Spirit so that He could please His Father.  In Jesus, we can see the beauty and unity of spirit that expresses the reality of “One God” in “three Persons.”   It follows that when we walk in fellowship and unity with the Spirit of the Triune God as partakers of the divine, perfect relationship among the three Persons of the godhead, we begin to know ourselves for who we are, and can begin to form more stable and lasting relationships with others. 

We hope this brief discussion of “One God in Three Persons” underscores David G. Benner’s claim that knowing God and knowing “self” are interdependent.  As we unreservedly love and obey God and wisely invest ourselves in relationships with others, we begin to fulfill the joy intended in pronouns like “we,” “us,” and “our.”

The Unity and Joy of “We” and “Us”
We began this article reflecting on the blessing of being wanted and included in relationships; and of hearing the pronouns, We, All, Everyone, and Us.  God created us with personality and to have a personal relationship with Him and with others.  While our culture faces frustration and division over defending gender pronouns, God’s invitation comes to us all with a powerful dose of His love and mercy expressed by the welcoming sound of inclusive pronouns like we, us, and our.  Take a few minutes to read and meditate on the Scriptures below.  Hopefully, you will be exhilarated by God’s Words of loving invitation and challenge (emphasis added to highlight inclusive pronouns):

• God’s Invitation
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. – Matthew 11: 28-30

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. – John 3: 14-15

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth [onto the Cross, and to Heaven], will draw everyone to Myself. – John 12: 32

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1: 22-23

And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction…  - Romans 3: 22

as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”   - Romans 9: 33

• Our Desperate Need; God’s Provision
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
   Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
  To fall on Him (Jesus).  – Isaiah 53: 6

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE… - Romans 3: 9-10

And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment…  -Hebrews 9: 27

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  – Matthew 7: 21

• Our Necessary Response by Faith
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. – Romans 10: 11-12

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10: 13

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   – 1 John 1: 9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  – Ephesians 2: 8-9

God’s Grace to All-- But Many Refuse It
Hope you have read the Scriptures above and noted the emphasis on the inclusive pronouns, We, All, Everyone, Whoever?   We have presented them in groupings that communicate the Gospel of Salvation—that is, 1) God’s Invitation; 2) Our need and God’s provision; and 3) Our necessary response.  The common theme is that the God is full of goodness, love, and grace; and, He invites all who are willing to come into a saving faith relationship with Him. 
Based on his close relationship with Jehovah God, Moses wrote the following description of God:

‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’  - Numbers 14: 18

Although God’s grace extends to all, He is a holy God and “will by no means clear the guilty.”   Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  The truth is that the joy of inclusion in the “we” of God’s family is available to “everyone” based on a faith response to the Gospel message of the Bible.  But there is also a “not everyone.”  “Not everyone” will respond in faith to God’s invitation to relationship with Him and with Christ-followers. 

The fact that many will reject God’s invitation to salvation raises a major question that has confronted people of faith since before the time of Moses.  What should we do when our faith claims are offensive to those who had once welcomed us into their relationship circle?  The blessed experience of the “we” and “us” relationship is now threatened because they claim “you” believe something objectionable to “me” or “us.”

Christ-followers should acknowledge at the outset that faith comes only by Holy Spirit-led transformation of a person’s heart and mind.  We can graciously plant the seed of the Gospel and water it through the love and kindness of God’s Spirit in us; but only God can redeem a soul (Psalm 49: 7-8).  Depending upon the degree of closeness within the relationship circle, there are at least three approaches from which we could choose:

1)  Avoidance:  Apologize, agree to disagree, and do not speak of your Christian faith again.
2)  Coexistence:  Acknowledge that each other’s truth claims (“my truth” vs. “your truth”) may be equally valid and therefore should not justify causing fractures within the relationship circle.
3)  No Compromise:  Politely explain that the practice of our faith in Christ cannot be isolated from our choices of conversation, stand on moral issues, or participation in social activities.  Option #3 above may be the only choice if we cannot otherwise avoid participation in conversations or social behaviors that are ungodly. 

Option #1 appeals to many people who know much about God and Christianity but choose to dismiss God from their lives and from their relationships.  They may have bitter memories and blame God or His followers for bad experiences they’ve had with professing Christians or in church circles.  Genuine Christ-followers who love God and want to love their friends as Jesus does may choose to remain socially connected.  In place of words that stir controversy, they try to behave as Jesus would.  They understand the heart of the Apostle Paul who said “the love of Christ compelled him” because “God [has] reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5: 14, 18).”  Therefore, we wonder if is it even possible for such a Christ-follower to remain totally “undercover?”

This leaves Option #2 which is often the most difficult.  Relationships that are maintained by an agreement to acknowledge each other’s “truth” may hang on a thin thread.  The result can be an unhealthy compromise that causes us to shirk our responsibility to share the Good News of Christ.  Trevin Wax, in his recent blog, "Live My Truth: The gospel in an age of privatized faith,” warns of the danger [Go HERE to read more]:

Unsurprisingly, people today celebrate the importance of “speaking” or “living” their truth. When someone says, “I need to speak my truth,” he means this: “I need to speak honestly about what I’ve experienced.”  And that’s a good thing.  But in matters pertaining to religion and spirituality, when we surround the word “truth” with adjectives like “my” and “your” and never get around to making a truth claim, we shrink from the biblical imperative to preach the gospel as an objective, publicly accessible truth.  We imply our perspective is only one of many viable options.  …However, true evangelism goes further, announcing the good news that cannot be reduced to personal preference or private spirituality; it confronts the listener with a choice, and that confrontation presents a challenge in sharing the gospel.
 
Where Do You Stand?
In conclusion, all of us must grapple with realizing who we are and develop our personal self-awareness, or our identity.  Learning to know our identity is part of maturing physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Our personal identity, or “who I am,” will determine how confidently we can move from a focus on the pronoun “I” into the blessings of being welcomed into “we” and “us” of relationships with others.  In the process, we may have to compromise our beliefs to retain our acceptance.  As Trevin Wax noted above, we may encounter people who will say, “You can have your truth.  I have my truth and it works for me.” 

If your relationships with others are based on agreement that “truth is personal” and therefore, “relative,” may we ask you, “Have you come to terms with the truth claims of Jesus Christ, the “I AM” or Jehovah who came to Earth in human form?  The Apostle John called Jesus the LOGOS meaning that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s wisdom and reasoning for the abundant life as He intends us to live (John 1: 1ff).  If you are still honestly seeking your identity and purpose in this life, we invite you to read the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John where you can “observe” the life of Jesus who is the very expression of the loving, seeking Father God.  Jesus served His Father all the way to the Cross where He suffered a cruel death but rose again after three days to give us life, hope, and a new identity in Him.

In order to learn more about how you can realize your true identity through a personal relationship with Christ, click HERE to read “Steps to Peace with God,” a Gospel presentation from the Billy Graham Association.  Let us know if we can help via our e-mail:  silviusj@gmail.com.
 
When you think of your own personal identity and how it has been shaped, and continues to be shaped, what thoughts come to mind?  Or, maybe as a Christian, you have struggled with forming social relationships, finding lasting “we” associations without rejection.  Maybe you would like to share your experience, or a question from your reading of this blog.  Just use the “Comment” link below.  Or, you may choose to respond privately via our e-mail:  silviusj@gmail.com.

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