I'm going to discuss the danger of manipulation. In psychology, manipulation is defined as a deceptive tactic used to influence or control others. It's dangerous because it can occur in various situations and relationships. It could happen in your workplace and relationships with  your family and friends, and even our political field and their opinions. However, today I will focus on discussing spiritual manipulation.

According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, people are composed of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. In modern terms, we can think of "spirit" as our conscience and "soul" as our consciousness. Psychologists define consciousness as one of the basic thought processes of our brain. Through consciousness, we can be aware of our physical existence and emotional sensations. On the other hand, conscience refers to our moral understanding, sense of knowing right and wrong, and our relationship with God.

Manipulation can influence our consciousness, leading us to confusion, doubt, and a distorted sense of reality. It can also impact our conscience, which serves as our moral compass and guides our sense of right and wrong.

Example in the Genesis

The manipulation in the Bible was represented as the voice of Satan. He deceived Eve by exaggerating things, planting doubt and fear in her, and making her lose the ability to discern right from wrong in God's eyes. The manipulator's goal is not only to deceive her but also to gain control of her conscience and consciousness in order to gain power over all humanity and alienate us from God.

There were spiritual signs when Eve was under attack. The first sign was feeling inadequacy, as she felt that God's provision was not enough for her. On the other hand, falling into spiritual pride was another danger of manipulation. The feeling of doubt about the promise of God and spiritual insecurity was one of the signs that Eve was deceived by the manipulative voice.

Story of Job

I will share with you the life of Job and provide a biblical example of how he overcame the dangers of manipulation in his real life.

Job was an extraordinary person in the Bible. He was a blameless and upright man who understood God's word more than anyone else in his time. Job engaged in intense arguments with his friends, trying to understand why God had allowed such affliction upon him. While his friends believed that his afflictions were a result of his sins and urged him to repent, He declared, "I did nothing wrong according to God's word, and my conscience testified to my faithfulness." Job believed that that he had faithfully served God according to His word. In the story Job, Job’s friend’s voices were used as a manipulative voice to destroy Job confidence in God.

Main Argumentations in the Story of Job

The story of Job provides three valuable spiritual insights that all Christians should know.

1. The first one is Job's response to the Word of God. Job always trusted the Word of God he learned from his spiritual leaders and kept his life and actions within the Word. His spiritual leaders could be his fathers and patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
2. Another aspect is to know the reactions of Job's friends voice. They tried to argue that suffering must be a consequence of personal transgressions. However, their arguments were not fully supported by biblical references. Their reasoning was based on a traditional belief and their own personal thought, and they used persuasive language to convince him to accept their perspective. Their language is filled with rhetoric, employing various techniques to emphasize their points and undermine Job's arguments.
3. The last important aspect is God's response to their debates. In Job 38, God revealed Himself to Job and spoke to him out of the storm, His voice sounding like thunder. Before Job experienced his hardship, he believed that the way of God’s communication is through a gentle whisper, Job never expected God to speak to him through mighty power.

However, when Job heard God's voice in the thunder, he was surprised because he could understand it clearly. God’s way of revealing was far beyond what Job’s understanding and his belief. After that happens, it is his humble attitude before God. He said, My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you in Job 42:5.

God also said to Job’s three friends in 42:8 saying “You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

Conclusion

The story of Job teaches us the best way to communicate with God. The worst approach is to act and rely solely on our personal understanding or the opinions of others. The acceptable approach is to know God and practice His Word, even without fully comprehending its spiritual significance. However, the best communication skill is to personally witness how God answers our prayers, rather than relying on the experiences of others.

Experiential knowledge of God in our daily lives is the best way to learn about God. It goes beyond mere cognitive understanding to know about God.

Practical application

I have three practical applications to experience God's mighty power and overcome the deceiving voice in our hearts and minds in our daily lives.

1. Seek guidance from God through prayer: Make prayer a regular part of your life and seek discernment, wisdom, and guidance from God. Intensive prayer for your child's spiritual well-being and physical health. Parents prayer for their children is powerful and effective.
2. Maintain your spiritual identity in Christ through experiential knowledge of God and trust in His Word. Instead of relying on your own thoughts and feelings, align your life and actions with the teachings of God. God's Word provides guidance on discerning truth from the deception of manipulative voices.
3. Surround yourself with a supportive Christian community: Engage with fellow believers who share your values and faith. Cultivate relationships based on trust, accountability, and mutual encouragement. Together, you can help one another identify and address manipulative influences in your lives.

@ 07.09.23. Pastor Cloud Poy

@ Photo: Unsplash의Jon Tyson