Shooting The Messenger: blaming or punishing the person delivering bad news.
It’s not uncommon for people to direct blame towards the bearer of unfavorable information.
There are several reasons why people do this, including:
A need for coherence and predictability
When confronted with unexpected or unfavorable information.
People often seek to make sense of the situation to regain a sense of control and understanding.
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A sense of something is all they need to be satisfied, no matter if their “senses” are wrong.
The feeling of coherence is enough for them, and questioning their senses is outright rejected because it destroys their false identity.
Confrontation Avoidance
Receiving bad news can trigger feelings of anger and frustration.
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Instead of addressing the core issue or the actual source of the problem, people often redirect their emotions towards the messenger, thereby alleviating some of their distress.
Blame attribution
When unexpected things happen, people often look for someone to blame.
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This helps them preserve a positive self-image, even if it is a fraudulent fantasy, and maintain the image of group harmony in their consciousness.
Solution: More Freedom NOT Less
It’s important to lead people to credible sources and encourage them to think critically about the information they encounter.
It’s also crucial to understand why someone believes what they do and to approach conversations with empathy and patience, even when they don’t do the same for you.
The human conscience, often described as an inner voice guiding us towards safety, is intrinsically linked to our capacity for empathy.
Our five senses play a crucial role in gathering information about the external world, but it is empathy that enables us to connect with others on a deeper level by understanding their internal world.
Empathy allows individuals to access and comprehend the memories, emotions, and experiences of those around them, fostering a sense of shared understanding and compassion.
The ability to step into another person’s shoes and view the world from their perspective not only enhances individual growth but also fosters empathy towards diverse viewpoints and backgrounds.
Empathy can be likened to a portal, through which they channel the unseen aspects of another person’s inner being.
By opening ourselves to this portal, we can gain insights into another’s hidden traumas, fears, and repressed emotions.
Channeling Root Causes
This process can reveal the root causes of denial, regret, and betrayal, shedding light on the web of human experiences.
Channeling someone’s inner child, for instance, can unveil deep-seated wounds and unresolved conflicts.
Motivations Reveal How To Heal
These buried emotions often manifest as debilitating fears, self-doubt, and destructive patterns of behavior.
By accessing these hidden depths, we can begin to understand the other, finding motivations, giving us compassion and inspiration for healing.
Empathic Darkness
The Enemy Found In The Reflection
However, the portal of empathy can also lead us to darker places within another person’s psyche.
We may encounter memories of causing pain and suffering, triggering feelings of shame, guilt, and self-loathing.
These experiences can be overwhelming, but they offer a valuable opportunity for understanding the complexities of human nature and the potential for both good and evil.
Empathy is a Bridge
The Full Spectrum Of Humanity’s Essence
Ultimately, empathy serves as a bridge between people, allowing us to connect on a deeper level and gain a more nuanced understanding of the human experience.
By embracing this portal, we open ourselves to the full spectrum of human emotions and experiences, fostering compassion, promoting healing, and enriching our own lives in the process.
It’s important to know that while empathy allows us to understand and share the feelings of others, it is crucial not to internalize or carry their trauma as our own.
Maintaining healthy boundaries and practicing self-care are essential for those who engage in empathetic practices, ensuring that compassion does not turn into emotional burden or burnout.
Independent of external control or rule – Supreme rank, power, & authority.
God Reigns Sovereign Over All Things
He instills motion into movement and serves as the source and provider of the electricity that powers our hearts to beat and ignites our thoughts.
In times gone by, he establishes everything from the microscopic to the cosmic level.
As Scripture says,
“Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases”
-Psalm 115:3 ESV
God, being a God of Order, orchestrates all things, including what may seem chaotic,to ultimately bring all of creation under His control.
He perfects eternity through the harmonious coexistence of both order and disorder, all in accordance with His divine design.
While disorder may seem chaotic to human understanding, God is in control, orchestrating all things for His perfect purposes. (His goodness signifies being completely aligned and within His rightful purpose)
As Jesus said,
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father”
-Matthew 10:29 ESV
In addition to determining all events, God reigns sovereign by sustaining all of creation moment by moment.
He is the source of both physical and spiritual life. Nothing can exist outside of God’s sovereign will.
Even those things that “appear” contrary to order, such as suffering or sin, are ultimately subject to God’s perfect ordering of reality.
As Paul wrote,
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen”
-Romans 11:36 ESV
Through His sovereignty, God works all things together for good according to His eternal plan.
What humans see as disorder, God uses to accomplish His purposes of glorifying Himself and drawing His people nearer.
While His ways are higher than ours and not always understandable, we can trust in God’s good reign over all things, both order and disorder.
He perfects all creation for His glory and the good of those who love Him.
As it says in Ephesians 1:11 ESV,
“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”
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He works through the chain of events that He has ordained from eternity past.
His ultimate purpose is to put death to death so that eternal life may reign forever (1 Cor. 15:26).
God has set all things in motion according to His divine plan to conquer sin and death through Jesus Christ.
Material Cannot Exist Independent Of Spiritual
It is misguided to think that the physical realm is separate from or independent of the spiritual.
All of creation, both temporal and eternal, is subject to God’s Supremist power and providential rule according to His Mind’s Decision.
To deny His sovereignty over all things is to deny the very reason for His ordering of the universe and plan for humanity .
He’s purposed and ordained every action, both good and evil, from before the foundation of the world.
– Eph. 1:4,11
As the all-knowing and faithful Creator, God has established all things according to the counsel of His will.
– Is. 46:10
Since God cannot lie or fail in His purposes, we can be certain that He will accomplish His intended goal. He has given prophecies and promises that will surely come to pass .
-Num. 23:19
His eternal plan has already been written and will be perfectly fulfilled in His perfect timing.
-Rev. 17:17
His Word stands firm, and what He has spoken will come to pass without fail.
“SOVEREIGN” in the OLD TESTAMENT
The Hebrew word most commonly translated as “sovereign” or “sovereignty” when referring to God is “Adonai.”
This comes from a root word meaning “lord” or “master.”
Adonai conveys that God has supreme authority and power over all things.
Another important term is “elyon,” which means “Most High.”
Emphasizing God’s exalted status above all earthly rulers, powers and authorities.
As the Most High, he is Sovereign over the entire universe.
God is frequently called the “King of kings” in the Old Testament.
The Hebrew word for king is “melek,” which implies one who rules with absolute power and dominion.
As King, God exercises sovereign rule over all other human and spiritual rulers.
Passages like Psalm 47:2 describe God as the “great King above all gods.”
As the one true God, He is sovereignly in control of ALL, even the false pagan deities that people worshiped.
God’s sovereignty is also expressed through His attributes of omnipotence (unlimited power), omniscience (unlimited knowledge) and omnipresence (present everywhere).
All-powerful. All-knowing Ruler. Present everywhere. Sovereign over His entire created order.
“SOVEREIGN” in NEW TESTAMENT
The New Testament (or Covenant) was written in Koine Greek:
Kyrios – This is the most common Greek translation of the Hebrew “Adonai“.
Basileia – This refers to God’s “kingdom” or “kingly rule”. As Basileus (King), he exercises sovereign dominion and power.
Pantokratōr – Found in Revelation, this describes God as the “Almighty” or “All-Ruler“. He wields power and dominion over everything in creation.
Epouranios – God is referred to as the “heavenly one”. As the one whose dwelling is in heaven, he reigns sovereignly from on high over earthly authorities .
Theos – Simply calling God “God” underlines his unique deity, sovereignty and right to rule as the one true and living God above all else.
Acts 4:24 describes God as the creator who “made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.”
As Creator, He sovereignly ordains and governs all things.
Romans 13:1 states that all human authorities have been instituted by God’s sovereign will and purpose. He is ultimately in control over the rise and fall of nations.
God is consistently portrayed as the sovereign Lord & King who rules from Heaven with Supreme power and authority over His entire creation by virtue of His Deity, creative act, and providential governance of all things.
He formed all things from His Minds Consciousness, through His Word, by His Holy Power, & for His purpose.
God is the God of order who puts all things in their proper place.
He reigns sovereign over both natural and spiritual realms.
We can trust in His good purposes to be fulfilled, even when from our limited perspective: His ways seem incomprehensible. Trust because…
He works all things together for the glory of His name and the good of His people.
