PATTERNS
Session Objective:
To examine how our actions impact our feelings and learn how to adjust thoughts to improve our moods and engage in more profitable behaviors.
WALKING THROUGH LIFE WITH FAITH
The Bible says that without faith it is not possible to please God, (Hebrew 11:6). The biblical definition of confidence happens to be "with faith". Scripture also points out that faith is belief without necessarily having the proof or evidence first.
Faith Illustration
A simple secular example could have to do with your car. Most of us don’t understanding how the engine, transmission etc. all work together to make an automobile function. The techno "idiots" like me just as soon avoid lifting the hood because we can’t comprehend how the system and its parts work together.
However, faith comes in to play when you turn the ignition switch on, put the car in gear and apply the gas and brakes while steering the direction of the vehicle with the wheel.
A car has all kinds of gadgets, monitors and gauges to help us monitor its functionality. We place a great deal of trust on the car manufacturer to have correctly assembled all the pieces necessary to drive the car safely.
Plus we see tons of other drivers operate cars all around us each day…. which gives us a kind of reassurance and comfort that this type of transportation works for tons of folks. Also that they work without the need for a technician’s level of understanding of how everything works.
It is by faith that we drive our cars. Nearly all the activities we engage in to make it go are a part of our subconscious.
When we first learned to drive in "Drivers Education" at the age of 15, we gained fundamental understanding and skills related to how to maneuver this complicated piece of technology. However, when we acquire the experience, it is no longer necessary to be conscious of everything we need to do to operate the vehicle.
We drive without fear that we should be cognizant of all the activities the driver is responsible for. Moreover, we are often more interested in the music from the radio, talking on a cell phone or interacting with one or more passengers.
Here is another example of how you already live by faith. Look at how you go about each day without worrying about how God wired all your inside parts together. The bible says that man is fearfully and wonderfully made.
Typically, we only become cognizant of our internal biological workings when something is wrong or we become ill. In such cases we take our "bodies" to another type of technician; this time it’s a health practitioner.
If we are relatively in good health we don’t need to worry about how the serological, cardiovascular, psychiatric etc. parts of us work together. The control center in our brain takes care of functioning well.
Applying Your Faith: Behavioral Activation
Now we are going to ask you to apply your faith to changing what you may try to do with your life…. often referred to as "Behavioral Activation". Just like learning a new sport. When first tried the game of golf everything started on the conscious level. I was aware and overwhelmed by all the complex tasks that had to be done correctly to hit that little white ball..
But over time with practice the mechanics became second nature or habituated through the learning process. New skills are built this way.
Most of your activities on a given day like eating, working, communicating and self-care are done without thinking first. But when a change is desired we usually have to relearn subconsciously and consciously how to coordinate everything to achieve a new outcome.
The self-monitoring exercise "Motivators" was used to bring to the awareness level some of your reactions when engaged in a variety of activities.
This is important so we can identify the best activities for our mood. Either subconscious forces or conscious level thinking form your behaviors. Your performance in any given activity will generate positive, negative or mixed emotions, especially when influenced by the reaction of others.
Motivating Factors: Motives
It’s also important to discuss motives. We are motivated to carry out behaviors or tasks by factors we may not be aware of (underlying desires, aims and ambitions). Or we can be motivated by factors we are aware of – which is particularly true for new activities you are trying to perform.
It is not that crucial at this point to dissect every secret motive you might have for doing things. This will drive you crazy. But human beings, even babies are typically driven by self-interest.
If you have ever spent much time around a cranky toddler it’s pretty obvious that he probably has a strong will or motivation to make sure his needs are met. If language and interpersonal skills are not developed crying and tantrums are used to manipulate his environment when mom, dad and others aren’t meeting his expectations.
As adults we keep this underlying wiring pattern. Most activities we engage in are associated with anticipated outcomes like feelings of pleasure or need for belonging, success and significance.
Jesus Engages In Activity
Jesus willingly followed His Fathers will by relinquishing His life to enemy captors who were set on torturing and hanging Him to death. His feelings during this excruciation process were not warm and fuzzy.. He managed to endure the affliction and gain victory over His natural personal longings to stay alive.
Scripture tells us in Heb. 12-2 that Jesus managed to persevere despite lying accusations, bloodletting beatings and ultimate asphyxiation from the killing method of hanging from a cross. How could He go through such a horrific "activity" that went against His emotions of pain, fear and anger?
The bible says that He endured the cross for the "joy set before Him". He sacrificed His Life so Gods plan of forgiving mankind and setting us right with Him could be unleashed.
Lets look at biblical times. Entire nations, like the Hebrews, conducted ceremonies where sacrifices of animal blood and flesh were superstitiously offered. These activities were said to follow Old Testament laws, rules and traditions. The killing of an animal was part of the atonement process people engaged in to please God.
It was felt that keeping such ceremonial laws and traditions would wipe away the sins and transgressions of people who worshiped and longed to be in good graces of a most Holy Supreme Being.
Two thousand years ago God broke into history. He put a new rule system in place. Om the old testament over 500+ regulations were documented. These laws were followed in order to receive favor from the Supreme Being.
However, God intervened in History two thousand years ago. He sent His one and only begotten son to live a sinless life here on earth, to show humanity a new way to live based on grace and love as opposed to performance and right living.
Gods plan called for Jesus to die on a cross for the "joy set before Him." The joy spoken of in the bible is the sheer delight of knowing that through this selfless act He was giving a new freedom to all of mankind. There would be no more need for animal sacrifices, burdensome rule keeping and endless waiting for a messiah to come to rescue God’s people.
How Did Jesus Rejoice?
Jesus was joyful because He kept His eye on the miraculous outcome of His death, burial and resurrection.
Another aspect of the joy Christ kept in view was the enormous pleasure He would experience upon receiving the adulation and embrace of God Himself as He was welcomed back in Heaven, job well done. As you likely know, Jesus was in a tomb for three days and miraculously arose and escaped, coming to life for some very significant time and activities, which remained on His agenda.
The point of sharing the aforementioned story of Jesus is to highlight a providential system of sorts for following Gods will and achieving personal goals. Jesus was able to endure horrendously painful feelings leading up to the cross because His motive was altruistically pure, honored and followed the Father’s plan. This was an ultimate example of faith.
We can’t always control the circumstances or negative events surrounding us. Sometimes we may not even know whether an activity will yield a positive mood and outcome or not. If our goal is aligned with the kind of love and grace that characterized God, that’s all that really matters.
The right motive:
If we engage in positive activities or even routine, mundane tasks with the right motive we can generally influence the level of positive emotions that flow as a result. Like Jesus, sometimes we may even have to force ourselves to engage in an act ivity that doesn’t seem to be appetizing at first, like attending a social event when you would rather hide or be alone or going to the gym to work out. We often feel much better if we push through the difficulties in order to receive "the joy set before us" or a pleasurable outcome and its associated happy thoughts and emotions. Sometimes we just have to engage in behaviors we would rather avoid. However, once we realize that inactivity reinforces negative moods we just might choose on the basis of faith to focus on the desired end result.
HOME PRACTICE ACTIVITIES
10 SELF COACHING REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Now review the list of "Gratifying Activities" that follows. Select two or three activities that you would like to pursue this upcoming week. You can also review your self-monitoring LOG from last week and give an activity you previously tried another chance. Or, simply use your imagination to select a shorter and longer activity (one can be less than 15 minutes while the other can be lengthier).
Here are some criteria to help you make some selections. Some things that:
You should do an honest self-appraisal as you think about this assignment. Are there any fears or reluctant thoughts or feelings you may encounter with each activity?
15. SCQ:
16. SCQ:
17. SCQ:
18. SCQ:
19. SCQ:
20. SCQ:
21: SCQ:
22. SCQ:
23. SCQ:
Did you see any "thought – feelings – behavior" patterns emerging? Describe below.
24. SCQ:
25. SCQ:
GRATIFYING ACTIVITIES LIST
Select, schedule and complete as many of these enjoyable activities as reasonably possible over the next week. Use the worksheets that follow.
GRATIFYING ACTIVITIES WORKSHEET
Pinpoint and list your first activity: 
Preparation: Does anybody need to be contacted or do any plans need to be made?
When will it be accomplished?
Prediction: On a scale of 0 to 10 how positive do you anticipate the activity will be?
Reflect:
Date accomplished: 
Outcome: On a scale of 0 to 10 how positive was the event for you? 
Conclusion: what seems to make the event pleasant at this time?
What did you learn? 
Does this help generate any ideas for future activities you want to try (schedule those a.s.a.p.)?
PEER SUPPORTS
For many of us who have an introverted or rather socially shy style of relating to people (new and even existing relationships) this section should be helpful to you.
When God created the world He said that it was not good for the first man (Adam) to be, work and live alone. He created eve to be Adam’s helpmate and partner for their journey with God.
Later in the work God says that it’s not good for a man to labor on his own (generally speaking) because if he falls there would be no one to pick him up. Even in the entire paradigm for creating Himself, God chose to use a trinity or three parts to describe He divine live. There is the person of God the Father, the person of Christ the Son and the person of the Holy Spirit: revealer of power, wisdom and gifts. God enjoyed interacting as a threesome.
Ultimately however, God’s plan called for the creation of people, in His own image. God wanted relationships with His offspring. He desired to bear children, guide and hang out with them into eternity.
A combination of our will (choice) and God’s miraculous intervention:
Being the gentleman that God is, His grand plan for the development of our species is a combination of our will or choice and His miraculous intervention; as is the case when a married couple starts to have a family. But to enjoy true and authentic relationships with His children, God decided to make man to be capable of making his own decisions.
While He could have made each man and woman a robot; programmed previously to love God and choose to follow Him. What kind of relationship would that be like? Imagine being with another person on earth where their emotional response was already predetermined. This would not be a "free will" choice based relationship but more akin to a robot programmed with all the desired responses.
No, God leaves this all-important decision up to us. Once we come to learn who He is and what He can do, many fall in love with this marvelous supernatural specimen of mankind. Whether we learn about God through experience, other people, His Holy Word or some other means we are left with a decision to either accept or reject God and His gifts of perfect love, redemption, salvation, forgiveness and eternal life.
How does God want us to interact?
In the relational world that God created where He is with us and we are with others, we soon realize that we are built to rely on, play with, worship around and go through life with sovereign partners we may choose to know or receive at the bidding of the Lord. When people get depressed and anxious it’s easy to withdraw into a shell and hide from the disapproval of others and pressure to say the right things. This is not how God ultimately wants us to interact. Each of us has been pre-wired as an instrument of God Himself.
Yahweh (Hebrew for God) Partnership:
Each of us has emotional, physical, spiritual and many other needs built into our personality or acquired as we mature. God could zap down a full course meal anytime we are hungry to take care of our need for food, drink and nourishment. He could also design the wildest and most fun video game for us to play and gain pleasure/fun with.
But that’s not how He works. Yes, He causes ducks to fly that we can hunt and provide for a family supper but that involves God and us working together to the same end. Similarly, God could fill your barns or garage with stacks of cash to cover private school, a vacation or even clothes on your back. But we all know that is not how He works.
Our Vocation:
In terms of vocation, He calls us to gain knowledge, use our skills, team up with other contributors and have all of us use our natural talents bestowed by Him and/or spiritual gifts also a product of His grace and generosity.
In Old Testament times a boy typically learned the family trade by studying under his father (like an apprentice) for a predetermined training period. During this time values, abilities, characteristics, techniques, wisdom and relationship building strategies could be modeled and eventually embodied by the learner.
Jesus grew up in His father’s carpentry shop. What kind of tables and chairs do you think they made? I wouldn’t mind having a wooden product of their labor anywhere in my house! Rather than zap tables down to earth so man could enjoy a meal while reclining – like He zapped down the beginnings of a forest or lake he created a "Partnership Plan." This plan is to give His children certain gifts and aptitudes, call His children to build skills and knowledge "on the job" and ultimately learn how to perfect His craft.
Relationships and e motional health:
It’s the same way with relationships and emotional health. God uses the people closest to us, whether professional or peer, to meet our deeply held social requirements. When you plan to engage in activities with others, you are setting the stage for both of you to exchange empathy, sharing and listening. Most people would welcome the chance to learn of anything that is bothering you or driving a wedge in your heart between others or us and God.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow said that people have fundamental needs for safety and security. God pre-wired us with a vacuum to fill these longings while on earth. Once our basic existence needs are met, humans tend to pursue higher level need fulfillment. Primary personal needs include love, belonging and respect through accomplishment.
You need people and they need you:
To tie this topic to the notion of planning productive activities the point is that you and I need the engagement of people in order to find fulfillment on this earth. There are seasons for each need to be met. Sometimes you might need a friend with a knack for old jokes to cheer you up. At other times you may find yourself being fully present with a dear acquaintance, validating your honest emotional expressions and accepting you all the more, despite how grievously you previously regarded your secret (conscious or unconscious) yearnings.
When in the throws of an unfortunate mental condition, it is imperative that you value and interact with other people compared with hiding out – for fear of embarrassment or personal disclosure that is too deep or threatening based on your personality and ways of relating to people in the past. Be mindful that you need people and they need you!
TRANSFORMATIONS
Please find below a personal declaration called a transformation based on a particularly meaningful passage of scripture. Read, meditate and reflect on the following verse each day for a week. You will be reprogramming your subconscious mind by rehearsing the successful completion of what your life will look and feel like afterward.
Transformation Passage:
(2 Corinthians 5:7)
Transformation Post-statement Activities:
27. SCQ: