Bible Passage: “Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:1-4 ESV)
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6
Early in my career as a psychotherapist, I was introduced to a framework of treatment called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
(I’m going to nerd out on you with some psychology concepts for a minute, but don’t tune me out just yet. I promise it’s interesting!)
The goal of this form of psychotherapy is to help people stop fighting and avoiding difficult emotions and experiences. Instead, it teaches folks to make room for what’s difficult and uncomfortable.
We call this ability to experience uncomfortable internal experiences without letting them control our behavior psychological flexibility.
It’s a powerful insight because many of our psychological challenges are rooted in our inability to tolerate difficult emotions, which ends up controlling our behaviors and ultimately, our lives.
As discussed yesterday, psychological inflexibility ruins our lives because we end up being overwhelmed and controlled by either our emotions themselves or by our attempts to avoid feeling those emotions (e.g., drugs, alcohol, etc.).
Ultimately, the ACT framework tells us that life isn’t about feeling good all the time, but about accepting what is difficult while committing to live meaningfully in line with our values.
Now, what does this secular psychological framework have to do with a sound mind from a biblical perspective?
The insights of ACT align with the biblical worldview because we see these principles demonstrated in the prayers of the Psalmists, specifically in Psalm 56.
When David wrote this Psalm, he had been seized by the Philistines in Gath. He honestly acknowledges the reality of his difficult circumstances in the psalm’s first two verses.
Then something profound happens in the 9 words of verse 3 of David’s prayer.
He acknowledges and accepts that he’s afraid. It’s hard to imagine the man who slew a giant being afraid, but he makes it clear here.
Yet, he determines that he would put his trust in the Lord. He continues this commitment to live according to what he knows to be true by faith in verse 4, where He praises the Lord and determines that he will not be ruled by his fear.
He doesn’t avoid his fear, but he also doesn’t allow it to stop him from living out his value for trusting the LORD with all his heart (Proverbs 3:5).
Do you see the pattern of acceptance of emotion and commitment to values at play here?
That’s what a sound mind looks like.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to pray that way David does in Psalm 56. I pray that You’d help me approach You with full honesty about my internal experiences, but not be driven by those emotions. Teach me to pursue what I value most—Your truth—despite what I feel. Today I feel ________. Yet, I will commit to ______________. Amen.
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find it difficult to accept your emotions? How does that affect your ability to live in line with what you value most?
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