Dysfunction With An Unction: How Are We Dealing With “Dys?

DYSFUNCTION WITH AN UNCTION:

How Are We Dealing with “Dys”?

Elder Rayvann Kee II, PsyD, MBA | Clinical Psychologist

There is so much stigma around “dysfunction” in the church that, oftentimes, we wait to address anything slightly off until it spirals into disorder. We, [the church], have found a way to dismiss, minimize, demonize, pathologize, and marginalize individuals when there seems to be undeniable evidence that there are “issues” that can potentially get in the way of success of our brothers, sisters, ministry teams, departments, leaders, and even our organizations.

To make matters worse, we have essentially built up defense mechanisms to hide the anxiety, unease, guilt, and shame associated with dysfunction. The teachings that we receive cause many to feel that whatever existed in their lives in terms of selfconcept, self-esteem, fears and failures, personality structures, proclivities and inclinations, temperaments and attitudes, patterns of thought, and toxic theologies, is completely done away with at the moment of salvation and my friend, that is just not the case.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe in the power of baptism in Jesus’ name by immersion in water and the infilling of God’s spirit; however, I also believe that that is just the beginning of a process of conformation into the image of Christ. Unfortunately, what we have become accustomed to is developing and pushing people’s gifts and their anointings which are NOT given in response to an individual’s conformity, maturity, or lack of dysfunction. Yet and still, we so enjoy what God graces people to do that we have gotten to the place where we are willing to overlook dysfunction in exchange for the opportunity to experience/feel that person’s anointing.

Well, my questions then become: Are we setting people up for delusion and failure? Are we doing our ministry teams, departments, churches, and organizations a disservice to their future healthy existence? What kind of culture are we establishing with an emphasis on unction only and not dysfunction? Remember, what we celebrate continues to grow; but what we tolerate will also continue to grow. With all of this said, many are taught and believe that at the moment of salvation, all of their past is gone. Now, we hear this taught and preached; however, we need to remember that that is referring to God’s remembrance of our past life of sin – it’s washed away. But that says nothing about histories of abuse, poor/unhealthy upbringings, lack of love, poorly modeled relationships and behaviors, bad experiences inside and outside of the church, family patterns of thought, methods of coping, styles of communication, poor self-concept, poor self-esteem, low self-worth, poor self-image, and more. People are a product of a multiplicity of experiences and influences and circumstances that just don’t disappear because they are ANOINTED.

From a psychologist’s heart to yours, let us begin to acknowledge that our attention to perfecting our gifts and seeking the anointing of God is not more important than admitting that all of us have and operate with dysfunction. Lack of dysfunction is not a prerequisite for God to anoint us (Moses, David, Samson, Peter); however, that unaddressed stuff that comes up and has followed us throughout life – that we call “the past” – has followed us into your present and must be addressed for us to be all that God would have us be.

Lastly, our unction will never be enough to salvage what’s dear to us once dysfunction begins to express itself. Just because we are anointed, doesn’t mean we don’t have moments of dysfunction and vice versa. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed…” James 5:16a (KJV). The word “faults” doesn’t just mean sins – sins need to be forgiven – dysfunction needs to be HEALED.