God Demands a Wholistic Faith
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ”
The definition of compartmentalization is "a psychological defense mechanism in which thoughts and feelings that seem to conflict are kept separated or isolated from each other in the mind." Compartmentalizing life is our brain's way of providing self-protection. If you're struggling with personal issues, such as family conflict, but your job is at risk if you don't focus on an essential presentation, compartmentalizing your work allows you to preserve your financial future while addressing your family challenges at other times.
Unfortunately, relying on compartmentalizing life can become a habit-forming practice. Compartmentalizing is a beneficial survival skill, but it can be detrimental as your go-to response. Compartmentalization enables a distinct response tailored to the specific situation. Responding differently can keep you from being a holistic person. We all react differently based on the problem, but when you compartmentalize, you can begin to create different moral and ethical systems for each compartment you create. Soon, you split yourself into so many parts that the 'you' in one compartment is unrecognizable to the 'you' in another compartment.
Soon, you become so emotionally disconnected that your loved ones wouldn't recognize you at work. Worse, perhaps they wouldn't even appreciate or respect the you in another compartment. We have become so compartmentalized that our faith no longer influences other areas of our lives, such as our work, politics, or social interactions. It can lead to unhealthy decisions that can damage your mental health and diminish your faith as different compartments in your one brain, each struggle to embrace their uniquely necessary rationalizations.
The most detrimental aspect of compartmentalization is its impact on faith. God can no longer be the center of your life, but only one small compartment within your brain. With each compartment fighting for attention, God becomes no more important than any other compartmentalized issue. Worse, God is no longer able to be the divine influence on the rest of your life. Compartmentalization keeps you from focusing on eternal priorities. Today, consider the compartments you've established. Prayerfully ask God to take down the unhealthy compartments, but also to create doors the Holy Spirit can enter, to influence and bless the necessary compartments. When we clear our brains of unhealthy compartmentalization, we restore God's influence and direction.
