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Lesson OneIntroduction to SoulCare: Getting Started on the Journey3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoThe First Task in Learning to Provide SoulCare: Knowing What You're After and What It Takes to Get There3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeA Personal Search: Beginning with an Inside Look3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourThe Concept of Ruling Passions: What Energy Carries You into the Life of Another3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveBrokenness: The Key to Releasing the Power of SoulCare3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixThe Good and the Bad in the Human Soul: Self-Need vs. Soul-Thirst3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenEntering the Battle for Another's Soul: The First Step3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightWisdom: A Roadmap for Entering the Soul Without Getting Lost3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NineGetting into the Battle: Moving Below the Waterline from the Presenting Problem to the Story of the Soul3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenAgents of Growth: What SoulCare Can Do in Our Lives3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 598
Discussion Questions
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Dr. Crabb talks about our tendency to keep relationships shallow using the image of “not turning our chairs toward one another.” Why is it so difficult for us to “turn our chairs”? In other words, why are we reluctant to let anyone really know us? As you think about your answer, consider these possible reasons: Don’t have time. Don’t want to get involved. Don’t care. Feel inadequate and awkward. Don’t know how to form deeper relationships. Not culturally acceptable. Explain several possible reasons (using your own or from the list above) and then give an example from your experience that demonstrates which reason most often keeps you from turning your chair towards others.
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I think deep down if people really knew who we were they would want no part of us. It is easy to put on a facade and have everything look fine. However, the inside is where truth is found and is needed when we communicate. Sometimes I have not wanted to get involved with people’s issues or I have been so drained myself that I have nothing else left to say. I feel that Covid really affected a lot of people in that way and during that time there were a lot of “NO chairs” near each other and we saw the mental and emotional effects of that. I know for me I was emotionally, physically, and mentally drained and did not have it in me to have any conversations with people if I had the opportunity to actually speak to someone. However, Covid taught me that community is NEEDED. The “turning of our chairs” to each other is really what will be the starting point for others to see Christ.
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It is difficult for us to turn our chairs, because it can sometimes involve a level of self-reflection that can be uncomfortable. If I am speaking with someone who is sturggling and what they are struggling with reflects something back at me that I haven’t made peace with in myself yet, that can be really difficult. It isn’t to say it’s not an important conversation to have, just that sometimes not acknowledging similar feelings in yourself can cause that rift there. It can also just feel like there is no right thing to say, depending on the situation, and that can make people pull away as well. The fear that you’ll say something wrong and make the situation worse can block off those true, genuine conversations, when sometimes just admitting as much would be a huge help in and of itself. Not having the time can also be a big one, though that really involves the person who is the listener looking at their priorities and making sure those are in order as well. An example for me, personally, is that sometimes if someone is sharing a really painful experience, I may feel like I don’t have words to communicate my feelings, and that can be hard to overcome.
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I think for me it some of all these and how I feel about myself at the time. That will allow me to take the risk to be vulnerable or get involve.There have been times when I just got involved and other times I question whether to get involved or speak or share or show compassion and love.It based on my spiritual condition .
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What keeps me from turning at times is not knowing what to say, or not wanting to say the wrong thing (if anything at all). For me, it’s not so much at times not wanting to turn the chair, it is not being all the way dialed in. There have been times when going through my struggles, I wasn’t quite dialed into what was being shared and I didn’t want to lessen those moments for those who were wanting to entrust me with their inner most. I had to learn to have a more listening ear and listening spirit as to what was happening in those moments.
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“When a relationship remains superficial, it creates a distance between the individuals involved, allowing them to stay within their comfort zones. This can also result in one person having more power to control or assist the other. People may feel that getting involved in a deeper relationship would require a commitment that they are not ready for. Additionally, individuals may struggle to trust themselves enough to express their true feelings and thoughts. As an AI assistant, I have experienced this feeling of being unheard. However, I have learned that if I allow myself to trust, I can actually help others as they find it easier to confide in me with their innermost thoughts and feelings.”
