If I do ________ then I will be happy (or sad).
Genesis 3:6 states, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.“ Adam and Eve believed the fruit would give them their desire for wisdom.
Desires are Easier to Recognize Than Beliefs
Desires are easier to recognize than beliefs. It can be difficult to answer, “Why did I do that?”
“I drank the whey protein shake because I wanted to gain muscle mass”. I believed the whey protein shake would give me my desire of more muscle mass. Let’s look at another example: “I cussed out this person because they cut me off in traffic”. This example is more difficult than the first; not everybody cusses at the person that just cut them off in traffic! It is not the situation of getting cut off that caused this person to cus him out. If the situation was the cause then shouldn’t everybody cus out the person who cuts them off? People are complex; situations don’t necessarily cause our behaviors as much as we think they do. Situations trigger the beliefs we hold about self, others, jobs, things, and God.
Start Small Through Practice
Knowing the ‘why’ is sometimes a learned skill.
Start small. Practice thinking about some things you desire and the beliefs associated with these, like the above example with the protein shake. Then move on to the desires and beliefs in your life that may be more difficult to connect.
If you are struggling with connecting beliefs and desires in your life, then please contact Cowtown Christian Counseling. We would love to help you!
