Why the Murray Darling Basin Plan Is Not Fulfilling It’s Original Goals
Source: 4 Corners TV Program
The following is a summary of what the 4 Corners Program revealed about the Murray Darling Basin Infrastructure program.
1. Government Buy Back Scheme: the original aim of this program was to try and buy back unused water licenses that farmers owned in order to return more water to the Murray Darling basin for the sake of the environment. However this return of water seems to be also important to provide basic water needs for communities who live at the lower end of the Murray Darling Basin.
2. A Water Access License: The State of NSW has the right to the control, use and flow of all water in rivers, lakes and aquifers in NSW. In water sharing plan areas, water access licences permit the licence holder to take water from specified water source in accordance with the licence.
3. Problem with Buy Back Scheme: people who were not necessarily farmers began to buy and sell water licences like shares just for the purpose of making a profit. For instance it has generally been much cheaper to buy water licenses from the Murray Darling Basin. In the meantime the Government were buying back water licences at a much higher price. As a result many people would sell their Murray Darling Basin licences back to the government to make a profit. As a result the Government is forking out extra money to profit traders and not really “getting ahead” in terms of water licences to return water to the river.
4. Incentive for Farmers: in order to motivate farmers to sell some of their water access licences back, the government offered a “sweetener” for them. In exchange for licences the government offered to give them monetary grants to irrigate their land in such a way as to become more efficient in their water usage.
5. Problem with these “Incentives”: it caused farmers and even non farmers to irrigate more VACANT land for farming. This in turn creates the planting of more crops which then ends up using MORE water in the long run. This has especially been the case as big corporations have used these “irrigation incentives” to plant and expand into crops like nuts and cotton which need exponentially HUGE amounts of water to grow. As a result these “irrigation grants” have had the opposite effect of what the original goals of the Government Buy Back scheme were; ie to SAVE or RETURN water to the Murray Darling basin.
It is also said that irrigation methods have become so advanced now that they are already efficient and very little water runs off in a wasteful way now. Hence the reason for these “irrigation grants” can be rather vacuous.
6. Earth Moving Companies : are greatly profiting because they are paid by these farmers to irrigate more land.
7. Water Theft: another problem with these Water Access Licenses is that the Government has not always been able to enforce the rules of each licence adequately. For instance some farmers or corporations have been known to steal more water at the top of the river then their licences allow them to. Often water meters have been broken or tampered with so that authorities have no way of knowing how much water has been stolen at the top of the river at the expense of those people at the bottom of the river who may need their share as well.
8. Negative Result: a very damaging negative result of this whole scheme is that many ordinary communities can often face water shortages for their basic living requirements. This consequence I would strongly object to. The reason is that only a handful of big corporations may be profiting greatly at the expense of ordinary local people who need water for showers, cooking and basic cleaning. This to me is grossly unfair. I know that big business can provide jobs for local workers which is a good thing but I don’t believe it should be at the expense of depriving the basic needs of ordinary people in their own communities reducing them to near third world conditions in this affluent country.
9. Huge Cost: The whole Murray Darling Basin Plan is said to come at a cost of $13 billion by the government through tax payer dollars, although not all of this has been spent as yet. Also the infrastructure scheme consisting of “irrigation grants” to farmers or non- farmers (earth moving companies) is costing about $5.6 billion. One has to consider whether such a huge slice of the budget is being used wisely and meeting the original goals of the plan. If the answer is no, then new strategies need to be found to save and conserve water so it is evenly and fairly distributed to the relevant stake holders and communities so that we can be wise stewards of one of the most important resources for our living and farming needs.
10. Recommendations: the 4 corners program suggests that :-
a) The whole scheme should be stopped until further investigation b) The Auditor General should investigate the entire scheme as to
– who is getting the water & – what water (if any) is actually being saved?
• Other questions to consider:-
c) What other strategies can be implemented to better save water so there is enough to meet the needs of ordinary communities as well as existing farmers and their crops?
d) For the hectares of extra land being irrigated by large corporations, how many new jobs are being created by this process and what are the actual benefits to the Australian economy? (Harvesting cotton for instance is largely mechanised today and not labour intensive anymore). Also does it just result in a large amount of wealth going to just a handful of private owners? If the benefits to the Australian economy and it’s workforce are very minimal, then it may not be worth all the extra water these irrigated areas are using. The scheme may really be throwing good money after bad.
12. It’s OK to Admit Our Mistakes: in the adult world I believe it is OK to admit our mistakes or even fail at times. Some of the most successful businesses and successful people have failed up to 10 times or more before they found success. The thing is, we never know if something will succeed unless we give it a try. I’m sure the government had the best intentions when they proposed the Murray Darling Basin Scheme. The policies were a good strategy at the time. However it is often impossible to predict all the real outcomes and repercussions during the time of implementation. It is not a failure when governments sit down to re-assess a program and analyse if a scheme is indeed reaping the correct benefits to the country and if not if there are other ways, original goals may be reached more effectively.
Our 5 Emotional Needs and How Jesus Fulfils Them All
A well- known evangelist once stated that he discovered five safe assumptions about all people. They are:-
1. A sense of emptiness
2. A sense of loneliness
3. A desire to be loved as they are
4. A sense of guilt
5. A fear of death
These may seem like very vast generalisations and one may choose to agree or disagree with them. Perhaps for some people, these feelings may be part of their subconscious, which many choose to ignore through the busyness of life. The evangelist went on to talk about how through a committed relationship with Jesus through the Christian faith, the above needs can be met. The following is a brief explanation about each one.
1. A Sense of Emptiness: God has created all human beings so that they can have a personal relationship with Him. Hence all of us have a big vacuum hole in our souls, that only Jesus can fill. This is why many people can still feel empty and hollow even after reaching all their goals and achieving great worldly success. Other people try to fill this emptiness with the pursuit of worldly things like money, career, relationships, sport, hobbies etc. Many of these things are not bad in themselves but they can never adequately fill that empty void in us that only God can fill. We are spiritual as well as physical beings you see. Once we find the love of God it gives us a true sense of peace.
2. A Sense of Loneliness: Many of us can feel lonely even when there are family and friends around us. This can occur especially when we are going through a unique situation or trial or have a different world view to those around us. We can often feel that no-one understands our situation. When we feel judged or misunderstood by others, it can feel isolating and lonely. The good news is that when we get to know God through Jesus, we are never truly alone because He is all seeing and all knowing. Jesus always understands what we are going through. This is so because he is all seeing and all knowing. We don’t even need to explain to Him because he sees and understands all things. When we feel alone we can always talk to him in prayer to express our thoughts and feelings and questions. Jesus can also speak to us in His still small voice and many other ways.
3. A Desire to Be Loved As They Are: All people desire to be loved and accepted. Yet, in our world today there can be a great deal of division or discrimination on the basis of : race; culture; disabilities; different viewpoints; or just for looking or being a different in some way. Even within families there can sometimes exist the “black sheep”- someone who has a different personality or interests to the rest of the group. This person may not be fully accepted by other family members.
The good news is that Jesus loves us, just as we are. After all, He is the one who created us in the first place – with all our quirks, weaknesses and strengths. In the bible book, 1 Samuel 16:7b, it says “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Jesus also has shown his love for us because while we were still sinners, Jesus was willing to die for us, so we can be saved from sin to have eternal life. See Romans 5:6-8.
Some people think they could never approach Jesus because they do not feel “holy” enough. However Jesus invites us to come to Him just as we are. He doesn’t say to us, “fix up your lives first and reach a point of near holy perfection” and then I might consider talking to you. Instead, the whole reason why Jesus came to earth is because his original chosen people the Israelites were unable to stop sinning on their own. God ultimately knew he had to take the initiative and come down to earth to get down to “our level” to show exactly who He is, and to give us His own supernatural power to help us.
When He was on earth, Jesus made a deliberate choice to hang out with sinners and not just the “holy” people. In Matthew 9: 10-13 the religious leaders of the day questioned Jesus as to why he spends time and eats with “tax collectors and sinners”. These were often the people of “ill repute” at the time. To build a relationship with them He knew he had to show unconditional love and acceptance to them. In John 8: 1-11 Jesus goes so far as to defend and protect a woman caught in adultery who was brought before the crowds. Instead of responding with condemnation and punishment, he gives practical help full of mercy and unconditional love. It is this love and mercy that eventually makes the woman turn her life around and forsake her old ways. You see after she experienced Jesus’ love and mercy she wanted to follow him and change. She did it out of reciprocal love.
Every person wants to be loved for who they are. Once people truly feel loved and accepted, they are then given the ability to show love to others and are more willing to change for the better. You cannot give of, what you don’t have. You cannot love if your own “tank” is empty. This is why when Jesus came to earth He knew that people needed the safety and reassurance that there is someone who accepts and loves them just as they are. When people actually experience God’s love in a real way like this, it has the ability to give them a true sense of security and the potential to change people’s lives for the good.
4. A Sense of Guilt: The bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards. Sin is breaking any of God’s laws. Due to Adam and Eve’s sinful choice in the Garden of Eden we have all inherited a sinful nature ie a tendency to do evil. All of us have sinned against God in some way. Often this is motivated by our own selfishness, the desire to “get ahead” in life, or even to seek revenge. Many people can carry with them the guilt of these misdeeds. It can haunt them constantly in a subconscious way. It can prevent them from sleeping soundly at nights or it can take away their inner peace. Some try to compensate by doing some good works. However the sense of guilt may still linger inside their souls causing unrest.
The good news is that when we establish a loving relationship with Jesus through the Christian faith, Jesus provides us with a way to lift the guilt of sin from our lives. When we are baptised into the Catholic faith, Jesus gives us the gift of His salvation. Because he died on the cross, this means he has taken the punishment for all our past sins so that we can now have eternal life with Him. After this conversion process, we can then confess any future sins through the Sacrament Confession to a Catholic Priest. (This can be done anonymously not just face to face). This enables us to be free from the guilt of sin. The act of confession also strengthens and helps us to overcome the sin in the future. Many people who make a genuine Act of Confession with a truly sorrowful heart, testify to a feeling of peace and lightness after going through this process. It is like a burden has been lifted from their souls.
5. A Fear of Death: Most people do not look forward to the prospect of dying especially if they are unsure of what will happen to them after death. The good news is that when we get to know Jesus through the Catholic faith, it provides us with the truth about what happens to people after they die. It will also give us the means and power to attain eternal life so that we can spend eternity with our loving Heavenly Father in heaven. Death however will always bring sadness and grief especially for the family and friends who are left here on earth. However we always have hope because in knowing Jesus, death is never final. When we choose to live our lives through loving God, we can look forward to re-uniting with our loved ones one day in “Paradise” – a place where there will be no more “mourning, crying or pain”. Revelation 21:4. —oOo—
6. Financial Needs: this has been added to give extra hope and assurance. The bible tells us that if we choose to “seek first God’s kingdom” or choose to serve God and others according to His will for our lives , he promises to provide for all our physical needs like food clothing and shelter. See Luke 12:31-33. This does not mean we do not work hard (he could provide through gainful employment for instance ). It does not necessarily mean we will live in the lap of luxury. It does not mean we will never go through trials. However God is a generous God. He knows that we need food, drink, clothes and a roof over our heads – otherwise we could not work properly and serve others in God’s kingdom! He is not so stingy that he will not provide for us. Instead if we choose to work hard and co-operate with God, He is generous and giving and promises to give us what we need. This has to be re-assuring especially in the difficult economic times we are living in today.
Here is some information which may be useful if you are wanting to assist family or friends going through trauma or grief of any kind. It may provide some helpful insights for both believers or non- believers. 1. What is Trauma?
Trauma stems from an unusually challenging event that has the potential to create significant human distress and can overwhelm one’s usual coping mechanisms.
2. Expected Emotions
Numbness
Feeling detached or overwhelmed
Distressing vivid memories
Uncontrollable crying
Sleep related difficulties
Easily startled
Reliance on alcohol or drugs
Isolation, fatigue or lack of motivation
Feelings of guilt or hopelessness
The above are normal reactions to abnormal situations. It’s not because the person is weak or are not dealing with the situation well. These emotions are not controllable. If we are aware of this reality it will help us serve grieving people better.
3. Trauma leads to grief
Grief is intense emotional suffering. Grief is like a fingerprint – each case is unique . Every person experiences it differently.
4. Contributors to Grief
a) Material Loss business loss, stock market crash, theft, losing something valuable.
b) Relationship Loss eg. death of loved one, relationship breakup – inability to touch, love or talk to that person anymore
c) Identity Loss (self image, purpose, hope) in losing a high position
d) Functional Loss (mental, physical ) disability from a car accident
e) Role Loss (position or social order) mother when children leave home, losing management job
f) Systemic Loss (residence, work, community) eg. moving cities or countries.
5. Kubler-Ross – Stages of Grief – devised by a lady of this name
Stages of Grief – do not necessarily follow a particular order. They may not all occur and some stages may re occur. There may be more intensity of certain stages and almost none of others.
Loops – show that there can be set backs
The Graphic is not an exact formula for everyone. It should be renamed more correctly as “Possible Phases of Grief instead of Stages.
A Biblical View of Narcissistic Abuse and Typical Traits of Potential Victims
This article is written for the benefit of sensitive empathetic people who may find themselves a potential target for “Narcissists”. A Narcissist is a person who demonstrates many characteristics of a mental condition called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NDP). There is a spectrum for this condition. At the bottom end are people who just show a few aspects of Narcissism and on the high end are those who possess fully blown symptoms of NDP. A Narcissist as the word implies tends to use people situations and things to meet their own needs.
2.People Narcissists Choose as Victims Narcissists tend to seek out sensitive empathetic people because they can be easier to manipulate and control. This gives the Narcissist a sense of power and self-esteem. It also gives the Narcissist the energy or “Narcissistic Supply” to enable them to function and display a false sense of self to achieve acceptance in society. The people they look for as potential victims usually have the following characteristics:-
a) Amazing People Who Don’t Know It: Narcissists tend to target people who are responsible, successful, driven in their life, career or in what is important to them: people who are “go getters”, good people who have a lot to offer. However these people often do not realise how amazing they are. Instead they are more focused on their weaknesses and what they don’t do. The Narcissist then uses this lack of awareness against them. The Narcissist also likes to choose these people because they may feel jealous of them and hence feel the need to cut them down.
b) Unresolved Issues From Childhood: The Narcissist can see the missing pieces in your life (if you become their target). Hence they act like a trustworthy friend at first, so you can tell them all your problems. Once they find out your wound, they act as if they are the missing piece of the puzzle in your life. They give the impression they can give you what you missed out on in your childhood. This is how they keep you reeled in. If a person is whole and strong this is too much work for the Narcissist.
c) People Pleasers: if you tend to do things for other people at the expense of your own needs continually, the Narcissist will notice this.
d) Your Reaction to “Gas Lighting”: “Gas Lighting” is when Narcissists purposely lie to you or deny things they have done, to make you doubt your own reality and hence sanity. For example, a woman noticed that her man ignores her in public. She then confronts him about it but he out rightly denies it. He then continues to ignore her in public. This can make the woman doubt her own perceptions and question her own sanity. She may start to blame herself. If the Narcissist sees that you lose trust in your own instincts, then they see you as a perfect victim.
e) So far Idealising You: if they see you as this amazing person. They mirror what you want to hear so you think you have found your soulmate in this Narcissist.
i) Short Term Supply: if this “soul mate” behaviour changes very soon and the Narcissist starts putting you down, you would be seen by them as only “short term supply”.
ii) Long Term Supply: If the Narcissist starts to devalue you in a very slow and gradual way, you would be considered as “long term supply”. It is like you are on a hamster wheel. You want to get back to the stage when they used to idealise you. Hence you start doing everything you can to please them.
3. How To Overcome These “Victim” Traits If you find some of the above traits resonate with you, here are some ways you can overcome them to achieve safety:- a) Amazing Person: still be an amazing person but start to see your own worth and value internally not just when someone from the outside tells you. Victims can often be thirsty for external validation. Write down a list of all your good qualities and things you’ve overcome. Start realising how wonderful you are. Psalm 139:14
b) Childhood Issues: it is beneficial to be willing to go through the pain to work on and resolve any childhood hurts or issues in your life. This will help to strengthen your core person. Otherwise you may continue to encounter problems especially with Narcissists. The good news is once you grieve and work through these issues you are less likely to become victim to Narcissists.
c) People Pleasing: Work on feeling good about yourself without someone else’s approval. Learn to set boundaries and say “No” when needed. You may need a good therapist for support as you go through this process.
d) Gas Lighting: Victims often have received “gas lighting” as a child which caused them to doubt themselves. Learn to start trusting your own intuition or gut instinct. If you are a more sensitive and empathetic person you will probably have a more in tune “sixth sense” to identify when something does not “feel right” about a person. Then it will be less likely that the Narcissist can weasel their way to deceive you. If you are a Christian believer ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern if a person is a Narcissist or not.
e) Trying to Make The Other Person Happy: this will result in an unequal relationship where you are giving more than the other person. In a healthy relationship each person should be giving 100% on an equal footing. Make a list of what you expect to receive in a relationship as well as give. This will stand you in good stead before making new friendships.
4. How Narcissists Are Created There are different views on this topic. They are:-
a) Secular View: Narcissism is caused by the fact that a child is not shown unconditional love by their parent(s) from a very young age eg. 0-3 years old. Instead the parent will give signals as to what behaviour they approve or disapprove of. For instance, if the child is sensitive and starts to cry the parent may rebuke the child instead of providing comfort. The child then learns to shut off their emotions. If the child starts to verbalise sad emotions the parent may say disapprovingly “ you shouldn’t feel like that”. The child then begins to block off all their emotions thinking that it is bad to feel them. The parent may also praise the child, if they excel at a particular skill which makes the parent look good to others eg. Playing a musical instrument. As a result the child will tend to shut down the parts of themselves that the parent disapproves of and only function in the ways that the parent does approve. As a result the child does not become their authentic self but instead creates a “false self” in order to obtain acceptance and survive in their environment. There can be some truth to this theory.
b) Christian View: This is taken from a book called “The First Will Be Last – A Biblical Perspective on Narcissism by D CRobertsson ”. It states that the cause of Narcissism is also due to a person’s heart response to the circumstances in their lives. This could explain why some children of Narcissistic parents become Narcissists while others from the same family background do not. There can be two ways a person can respond to Narcissistic Abuse. They can choose the “Good” or (God’s way) to work on themselves to heal the pain in their lives and become a strong authentic self. Or they can choose “Evil” ie. to put on a “false self” using lies, deception and manipulation to survive. A person usually chooses early in life (consciously or subconsciously) which path to take.
5. Suppressing the Truth About God The author states that everyone has some knowledge of God since God is evident in the creation around them and the eternal powers behind it. Hence when individuals choose to do evil they are essentially turning their backs on God and his nature of love, mercy, justice, power, knowledge and wisdom. They are in fact suppressing the truth about God so they can live a life of evil. (See Romans 1: 19-20). This is also described in the following bible passage:-
Romans 1: 25-32 “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator…. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper…. full of envy,… strife, deceit, malice, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful… unloving, unmerciful..”
This passage is used to describe how the Narcissist chooses to live a lie by living out of a false façade they have created for themselves which is fake instead of living as their true selves. In order to keep this façade going, they need to lie deceive and manipulate others to keep up their pretence. This is the opposite to living as God wants them to – in Truth – being genuine and authentic , because God himself is Truth personified and has not ounce of sin or deceit in Him.
Suppressing the truth about God is also described as a process in which the Narcissist gradually “hardens their heart” toward God.
6.Situations Leading to Hardening of Heart to God: Here are some examples but are not exhaustive. Each case is a progressive hardening of the heart.
a) Entrenched Defense to Fear and Shame: The scenario is that someone in power and authority (like a Narcissistic parent) bullies and seeks to dominate a child – either overtly or covertly. This can include constant criticism, leading a child to fear that he or she is “good for nothing” which is a lie. How can the child respond?
• Accept the lie – some children would not because it would be too painful
• Use God’s truth against the lie – but many may not be taught God’s truth yet *
• Defend himself against the fear and lie – the child would do this through self- exultation & pretending to be better than he truly believes himself to be. A repeated cycle of this would eventually cause him to fully believe the story he tells himself resulting in Narcissism.
* As society is pushing more and more to phase out Scripture teaching in schools, especially from kindergarten age, it may be leading to a greater rise in Narcissism today.
b) Impact of Generational Sin: can also be a reason to explain how Narcissistic Parents can end up producing Narcissistic children, as described in Part a) above. Also families can produce their own DNA or family culture. Exodus 34: 6-7. This could include a scoffing or prideful approach to everyone else “out there”. Children can subconsciously follow this, even though they are taught to be kind and caring. This cannot be seen as an excuse however. When a child becomes an adult they can still choose to learn the truth of God and turn their lives around. This is why not all children of Narcissistic parents end up being Narcissists. Leviticus 26: 40-42
c) Self Exaltation from Prosperity & Praise: This can be a third cause of Narcissism. In Deuteronomy 8: 11-15 God warns his people to beware of enjoying the “good life” so much that their hearts become proud leading them to forget about Him altogether. Wealth riches and a high position can lead to an over-optimistic sense of :-
• Our Superiority • Our self- sufficiency • Our ability to control things • Our ability to manipulate things to get what we want
d) The Result of the Progression of Fools: this is described in stages:-
i) Naïve Fool: [Hebrew: pthiy] this is how the person starts out. They are open to truth but also to sin without committing to one way or the other. They can be easily influenced by those around them and do not think through the consequences of possible actions. Their pride lies in the fact they do not fully submit to God’s standards and hence reserve the right to do wrong. Proverbs 14:18
ii) Perverse Fool: [Hebrew: ewil] The Naïve Fool makes a choice to do wrong in a dimension of his life and persists in this (without repenting). This shows his underlying rebellion against God taking the proud decision that he knows better and ignores the consequences. Psalm 107:17
iii) Scoffing Fool: [Hebrew: luts] The Scoffing Fool refuses to be told he is wrong but persists in his waywardness. He begins then the “cover-up”- living according to his own desires but trying to “make it look good”- the essence of hypocrisy. He begins to even set himself up as the standard of what’s right and wrong. He also actively fights against anyone who tries to correct him. He has not totally rejected truth but seeks “truth” on his own terms. Proverbs 9:8
iv) Stubborn Fool : [Hebrew: kecil]: He actively and arrogantly rejects the knowledge of the truth including the reproofs of discipline, persisting in the error of his ways. Contentment with his pleasures also makes it harder for him to repent. He begins to hate knowledge – further hardening his heart- to become increasingly dull to the truth. Proverbs 1:22
v) Committed Fool : [Hebrew: nabal] The committed fool now totally denies God. The Hebrew word means stupid wicked and vile. He acts immorally and disgracefully with no inkling of ethics or morals. He can even teach about God but denies him in his thinking. Psalm 14:1.
At each stage, a person can repent and turn back to God. However the longer the person delays the more his heart will be hardened. The more likely that person may progress to the next stage as well. This is why it is important to keep a short account with God and not to harden our hearts. This is why going to Confession is such a blessing.
The above stages also explain how some people may show only aspects of Narcissism while others have full-blown Narcissism traits with no discernible conscience.
7. Can a Narcissist Be a Christian (and vice versa)? This depends on what the bible says a true Christian is. The following verses reveal how a true believer must show “fruit” in his life.
Mathew 7:21 -“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. James 2:14-20 – “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
If a person does not show any “fruit” in their lives in terms of righteous character and deeds than it might be assumed they do not know Jesus. Of course only God knows. If there is evidence of fruit but still elements of pride then perhaps they are believers but have not yet taken full advantage of the radical life transformation that God is calling them to. It is also well to note that if any “good works” done by a person are motivated by pride and self-exultation, rather than genuine care for others, then these would not be pleasing to God and may not be considered “good” at all.
Summary diagram
8. Healing from Narcissistic Abuse: A key here is that “Knowledge is Power”. Research and read up about how a Narcissist operates. You Tube can be a helpful resource. When you gain more and more knowledge it will “expose” their lies and deception and they will then have less power over you. (It is always good to be wary though). As you grieve over Narcissistic Abuse and how it has affected your life, your inner fears will start to dissipate gradually. It is also helpful to have as little contact as possible with the Narcissist while you are going through healing. Finding a good therapist who is knowledgeable about NDP is also recommended. As you become healed other friends and family, will start to see the truth about the Narcissist and hence you won’t need to defend yourself about the Narcissist anymore.
9. “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”: Narcissists are sometimes described as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. This refers more to the “Covert” Narcissist. These Narcissists can initially come across as charming, attractive, intelligent angelic people- almost like a “saviour”. Later on they begin to destroy their victims in a very subtle and secret way, always hiding their tracks. For instance if their victim opens up about their own insecurities, the Narcissist may then say “ Your friend Cynthia is a very capable and confident person isn’t she ?” . In a subtle way this implies that you are weak compared to her. However on the surface it may just appear to be a real life comment with no ill intentions. Any ill intentions can be denied by the Narcissist. More about Covert Narcissism here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5Reykp6-1c
10. Isolation : It can be very isolating dealing with a Narcissistic Parent(s). This is so, because it is not socially acceptable in society to speak negatively about one’s parents. It can be seen as sacrilege. If you mention that you don’t see or talk to your (Narcissistic) parents very much, people may often assume that you are being sinful & disrespectful to them in some way. This is because Narcissistic Parental abuse is only known often to victims themselves, and not the public at large. Many may not even know this type of abuse exists in the world. There are also very few face to face support groups for victims. However there are some online support groups and communities eg. on You Tube, Facebook and Yahoo. Many of these groups have thousands upon thousands of followers all over the world. It shows that if you are, or have been a victim of Narcissistic Abuse you are not alone. There are really a LOT of people who have been through the same thing. This also confirms the fact that you are NOT imagining this abuse or going crazy.
11. Keep Your Life Private from the Narcissist: it is best not to divulge too much about your life to a Narcissistic Parent or Narcissist if possible. If so it could give them ammunition so they can create strategies to sabotage your life, plans and goals.
12. The Rosary: Some victims of Narcissists may be in very difficult situations where they may not be able to remove themselves from the Narcissist eg. in a family or work situation. Even if you are not religious try praying decades of the “Rosary”. For each decade (10 beads of the Rosary) offer up a special prayer to Our Holy Mother that through her intercession God will provide a way out of your difficult situation. Prayers offered up to Our Holy Mother Mary for her to intercede will never go unanswered.
13. Dating a Narcissist: It is also possible that one can become ensnared into dating a Narcissist. They may at first come across as charming attractive and intelligent. (Of course not all people possessing these traits are Narcissists). Here is a book that describes in detail how a Narcissistic dating relationship will usually pan out “Prepare to Be Tortured: – the Price You Will Pay for Dating a Narcissist” by A. B. Jamieson. If you have grown up with a Narcissistic Parent and haven’t dealt with your issues, there’s a big chance you may tend to attract Narcissistic people when dating. Unfortunately even people who grew up in healthy families can be deceived by a Narcissist’s charm. So it’s good to read up and become aware and knowledgeable.
14. Useful Links About Narcissism:
• When The Narcissist Minimizes You. Another Method Of Mind Control:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP3sUfLcNzQ This is where the Narcissist continually disagrees with and belittles everything you say. They do this in order to maximise themselves.
• The Narcissist Will Sabotage Your Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPRjmmX9Vwg These 2 videos show how Narcissistic Mothers are often jealous of a daughter and the attention that she may obtain from the father. Hence the mother will often give material gifts in order to manipulate and control the daughter and ultimately sabotage her life so that she will fail at everything. The mother may do this by helping the daughter with strategies which she knows will secretly fail. In this way the mother appears to others to be helpful but would in actual fact be causing the daughter’s downfall.
These videos show how the Narcissistic parent usually chooses one child who is empathetic and weaker in the family to victimize and control to give the Narcissistic mother a sense of self- esteem and power.
• The Narcissist Has The Nice-Nasty Thing Going On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1-O8NbncGY This video shows how Narcissists adopt a Nice Nasty Nice Nasty ploy which can really confuse a child making the child think she is going crazy. Eg. a Narcissistic Parent would appear loving at times. But when the child tries to set boundaries and say No, the mother would issue a tirade of anger.
• Narcissists Must Triangulate–Here is Why–Save Your Sanity : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apn0hKGLsfw This video shows how the Narcissistic Parent creates sibling rivalry and competition to create hostility in order to hide the fact that she is the one instigating all the chaos. Instead her aim is to appear angelic and perfect to the outside world.
• Infantilization-An abusive tactic of narcissistic parents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF81DMh1QvE Infantilization is when the Narcissist treats their adult child still like an infant. The Narcissistic sees their child as an extension of herself hence undermining the child’s own independence. Her excessive criticism erodes the child’s self – esteem and hence gives them a false identity. The Narcissist tells the child they are something which they are not.
• How to cope with PTSD/Releasing toxic energy after Narcissistic abuse –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfSQ0Fzm6LY This video explains how Narcissistic Abuse can cause PTSD for the victim including Adrenalin Fatigue
• Narcissistic Parents Use Character Assassination as a Toxic Tactic pt. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTcCIyfT99E This video shows how the Narcissistic Parent aims to ultimately get the Scapegoat child to destroy themselves.
• The Paralyzed Adult Child of Narcissistic Abuse –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9dPpiMwYwY This video explains how a Narcissistic parent can debilitate their child psychologically and emotionally to such an extent, that when the child becomes an adult, they are unable to work and hold down a full time job
• The Narcissists’ fake apology : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gb6gu9jPrk This video shows how the Narcissistic Parent may offer apologies which are really fake. She does this when she feels she is losing control of the child. Hence she pretends to apologize to try to “hoover” the daughter back in.
• The Aging Narcissist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjCed4BSF8Q This video shows how a Narcissist very seldom repents of their behavior and often does not have the ability to look inward to admit their own faults. As a result they often get worse in their Narcissism as they age.
• Why the Narcissist Won’t Leave You Alone and What to Do About It : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjP_YGoJX4A These 2 videos reinforce the fact the Narcissist wants to maintain control of a child so that she will never rise above and become more successful than the mother
• How Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers Can Survive & Thrive:
***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7wbjZeKihU Explains how the best way to heal from Narcissistic Abuse is to go “no contact”.
There was an interesting story on the ABC program “Australian Story” called “Beating the Blues”. It was about the ex-footballer Greg Inglis and how he overcame his mental health challenges throughout his career. Straight after this there was a program on ABC’s “Four Corners” about the tragic death of a young boy at the hands of his father who was also suffering from a severe mental illness. These 2 documentaries are totally unrelated. However what really stood out for me is that in each case when there was a sudden change or upheaval in their lives, it brought about a severe downward spiral in their mental health.
With Greg Inglis, for instance when he had to leave a professional position and hence no longer had to undergo his daily rigorous training routine, his mental health spiralled down into depression and addiction. In the case of the man who caused the death of his son, he was also going through a huge change and upheaval in his life. His young son had just started school, hence the father had to go through the loss of not being able to enjoy and spend time with his son at home 24/7 anymore. Even for those who don’t suffer from a mental health challenge, it is still a huge grief and trauma losing your toddler to school, after you had once been able to love and spend time with them almost on a full time basis. It’s a huge loss and adjustment for one’s life emotionally and mentally.
These accounts are a reminder that often those living with mental health challenges can often find periods of change extremely difficult to cope with. Hence it could be a good idea when helping people manage their mental health or even when managing your own, to try to anticipate life changes beforehand and even prepare for them so that they do not take us by surprise triggering a sudden unexpected episode or period of severe un-wellness. The following are some possible action steps to help manage large or even small changes so that one’s mental health may be prevented from spiralling out of control.
Suggestions For How to Manage Change
1. Anticipate & Plan for Life Changes: Life often throws us unexpected “curve balls” all the time. However there may be certain life changes that you know will happen well before-hand and can prepare for. Talking to a therapist or support friend can help to identify what these events may be. Some future events, even if very positive may also require major mental and emotional stress. For instance starting a new course of study you have always wanted to do, may be very exciting, but can at the same time also be a possible source of stress since it will require a lot of mental and physical energy, less time with friends and so on.
2. Categories for Planning: Big changes such as: a child leaving home, moving house, changing jobs, starting a new course and so on, can become overwhelming when going through them. Hence take steps to put into place how you can manage these changes so you have supports in place to help make the transition less traumatic. You could split your steps into different areas eg. a) Mental/ Psychological b) Social c) Physical d) Emotional and e) Spiritual. Alternatively create headings that are relevant for your particular needs at the time.
3. Keep active and busy: Plan your day or week ahead. In some cases eg. the ending of a job or a child leaving to start school there can be left a huge gap of free time with nothing to do. There can be a normal grieving period. However it is not wise to remain idle for too long. This can send the mind racing into depression and negative thinking spiralling into a major episode. Instead try to keep a regular routine of things you still enjoy doing, while you plan your next move eg. do regular exercise, go to the library and borrow books to read, do some volunteer work to pass the time. Try cooking some new recipes to widen your skills. Often keeping busy with some productive activity and a schedule, can keep severe mental health episodes at bay
4. Emotional Health: try to put a strategy in place for when you start getting depressed or psychotic during your life changes. For instance if you haven’t seen your therapist for a while, check to see if they would be available, if in a future emergency you may need to call upon them. Talk to some good support friends or peer support people if they have time to listen & chat should you ever find yourself in a difficult time in the future. It’s always better to plan these things when you feel well. If you wait until you go into a pit of depression or feel suicidal it can be a lot harder.
5. Study Difficulties: in the future if you encounter difficulties in your studies in terms of understanding difficult concepts you could check out beforehand avenues for extra tutoring. Some campuses may provide extra free tutoring services for people with disabilities.
6. Spiritual: if you usually attend mass or a discussion group with your local church, try not to give these up just because of a heavier study workload. These spiritual outlets can give you strength and vital prayer support to help you succeed in your studies.
7. Physical: try to keep up some regular exercise while you do your studies or go through a big transition. You may not have the time to do as much as before, but even once or twice a week is still beneficial. Exercise helps to stimulate oxygen to the brain so you can think more clearly.
8. Social: plan in the future to still make time to have fun and relaxation. Cultivate friendships where you can just be yourself and where people will just accept you unconditionally. This is important to have a balanced lifestyle especially when you undertake study or major life changes.
9. Lists: lists can be a helpful organisational tool when going through major stressful changes like moving house. You can compile a list of essential things to do as you make this big move. Having it written down can overcome the stress of fearing you may forget to do important tasks.
10. Write Down Good Ideas: Whenever you think or hear of good ideas that will assist you in your big life changes try to write them down straight away. Perhaps note them down in a special “Ideas Book”. In this way you will have them altogether and won’t be in danger of losing or throwing away little bits of paper lying around everywhere. In your planning time you can go back to these ideas and act on them.
11. Carry a Small Notebook: Try to carry a small notebook wherever you go, so you can write down any good ideas you hear or think of. Sometimes these can pop into your head at the most unexpected moments eg. while exercising, while socialising with friends, while on the train or while shopping for groceries. This often happens because our mind may be more relaxed at these times and hence have more space to receive creative ideas.
12. Change of Seasons: even a change of weather season may cause significant stress to people with a mental health challenge. The key is to be aware of these things and try to take steps to help cushion these changes. A sudden change of season to Winter can feel stressful, for instance, because the body needs to use more energy to keep warm.
13. Summary a) Any type of change whether it be large or small can often trigger and exacerbate a person’s existing mental health condition. b) Hence it can be beneficial to anticipate beforehand impending life changes then plan strategies to help cushion these stresses c) Strategies may be split into the following suggested areas:- mental, psychological, emotional, physical, social, physical and spiritual
How to Study & Apply the Bible Effectively for Your Life
Studying the scriptures and delving into God’s Word can be the most rich and rewarding things one can ever do. The bible says in Hebrews 4:12 “The Word of God is Living and Active”. It has the ability to come alive, teach us in a vivid and piecing way, revealing truth that penetrates the soul. However when it comes to studying the bible many people are at a loss as to know how to go about this. One way is called the “Inductive Bible Study”method. This aims to look at each book of the bible as a whole then gradually study each section in more detail.
The Inductive Method : is different to other methods in that:- a) It discovers what the original author was trying to say to his original readers. This author was guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore if we discover what the original author was saying, we discover what the Holy Spirit was saying. b) It studies the scriptures in context c) Conclusions come from observing the text itself d) It begins with prayer asking God to give us understanding of His Word e) At the end we ask how the passage in context can apply to our own lives
Purpose: of the Inductive Method is for :- a) Personal growth and maturity 2 Tim 3: 16-17 and b) To be able to teach others 2 Tim 2:15 , Hebrews 5:12.
Here are the steps to the Inductive Bible Study Method:-
A) The Big Picture – Horizontal Chart
This step helps gain the big picture or overall theme of the bible book eg. Ephesians. 1. Unmarked Bible: start with an unmarked bible in your chosen Catholic translation
2. Pray: and ask God to illuminate your mind as you undertake this study.
3. Read Whole Book: in one sitting. Read it out aloud or you can listen to it on an app. Don’t stop to ponder but try to acquire the overall picture of the book. The key is to “Observe”.
4. Read & Ask Questions: Read the book again and ask “who what when where and how questions” eg a) What is the purpose of the book? Sum up the main message b) What kind of literature is the book and how does this effect it’s interpretation? c) What are the repeated words phrases and ideas? d) How does the author build on his argument? What are the main points of his argument? e) What clues can you find about the historical background in the text?
5. Paragraph Titles: read the text through again and give each paragraph a title. Each title must be 4 words or less and only contain words from the paragraph itself. This enables us to “Observe” first (and do any interpretations at a much later stage).
6. Structure: next is to find the structure that the author used to communicate his message. Do this by reading the text again and looking for compositional links and relationships between paragraphs. Look at your paragraph titles too as a guide. This is hard work and there is no short cut. Give yourself plenty of time. The key is to “Observe” ie. look look & look again.
7. Section Titles: when you have found your groupings, give each segment a title.
8. Division Titles: you can then group your sections into bigger “divisions” and give them titles as well.
9. Key Verse: This is a verse, part of a verse, or a couple of verses within the text that summarises the key message of the book.
10. Book Title: This can be in your own words. It is a short and pithy title that summarise the main message of the book.
11. Completed Chart Example: Later when you look back on it, it will help to remind you of the big picture and theme of the book. This also helps you interpret paragraphs and verses within the context of the whole book.
12. Background Information: The following questions can be obtained from the text itself. If not in the text, one can look up a bible dictionary or other reference book. This information helps to put the book in context of it’s time.
i) Who wrote the book or letter? ii) When was it written? iii) To Whom was it written? iv) From Where was it written? v) Why was the letter written? vi) What were the church’s weaknesses? ( if a letter) vii) What problems were being addressed?
B) Studying the Detail – Vertical Charts
This step helps us study in more detail the verses and paragraphs of the bible book.
1. A4 Graph Paper: Take the first section of your Horizontal Chart eg. “What Christ Has Done”. This will be your first vertical chart. Draw a vertical rectangle in the middle of your graph paper (A4 size). Split this proportionally into your paragraphs. Often one tiny box on your graph paper can equal one verse. Write in your paragraph titles at the top of each box. Also write in the Section title at the top of the page.
The advantage of doing these Vertical Charts is that you can see more clearly how each paragraph relates to each other. They can also be used as teaching tools at a later time.
2. Select Words in Each Paragraph: (black pen). After you have ruled up the vertical chart for your first section, you then select certain words or phrases from the text itself that you would like to study in more detail. Write these words inside your paragraph boxes. You could write these words inside the boxes in black pen. Here is a sample Vertical chart to show how to write the words of the text you have selected inside each box :-
Colour Code
Black –words from each paragraph for selected for further study Green – Observations Blue – Interpretations Red – Applications Brown – Themes
3. Observations: (green pen) this is a vital step in Inductive Bible Study. It is when we look look and look again to see what the text actually says free from the “baggage” of our own pre-conceived ideas or interpretation. Observations can be derived by asking questions that begin with What, When, Where, How, Why and Who? Examples are:-
a) What : What events are taking place? What is the order of these events? What is being said? What are the issues being addressed? What atmosphere do you sense from the different parts of the book? What moods or emotions do you detect?
b) When: When was the book written? Observe the verb tenses: past, present and future
c) Where: Note the places mentioned Look up geographical places on a biblical map Where was the letter sent to? Where was the author when he sent the letter?
d) How: How does the author communicate his message? See also Structure example in Point 11 above.
e) Why:
Bombard the text with why questions. Why did the author write the letter? Why did the author need to write the things he did? Why was the church into the error that they were? Why does this paragraph follow the last one?
Remember to look for the answers in the bible text first, before seeking commentaries.
f) Who:
Who are the main characters and people? Note the nouns. Observe who is doing the actions Observe pronouns: I, he, she, it, they, them, us, who, me, etc
4. Significant Words to Look For :-
a) Contrast : but, even though, much more, nevertheless, yet, although, then
b) Comparison: too, also, as, just as, so also, likewise, and, like
c) Reason/Result: because, for, since, that, so that, in order that, so then, therefore, thus
d) Temporal or time connective : now, until, when, before, after, while, since
e) Condition: if
5. Other Observation Questions :-
a) Are there Repeated Words, Ideas or Themes? b) Are there Key Words ?
You can write the answers to these observations outside your vertical chart in a different colour pen to distinguish them eg. green pen.
C) Interpretation: (blue pen). Once you have made certain observations from the text (eg. in green pen), it is only then you can write down your interpretations in a different colour (eg. blue pen). Keep asking the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you understanding during this stage.
a) Questions you can ask are:- – What does the passage mean? – What did the writer intend for his first readers to understand by what he had written? OR – What did the first readers understand the writer to mean?
b) Tools for Interpretation : The following 4 questions can assist in the correct interpretation of the text
(i) What kind of LITERATURE is this?
(ii) What is the basic STRUCTURE of the book ?
(iii) What is the HISTORICAL BACKGROUND?
(iv) What are the MEANINGS of various terms and words?
(i) Literature : There are 2 main types (a) Poetry – language of the heart and feelings (b) Prose – language of the head and thoughts
(c) Different Kinds of Prose – Law – eg. Deuteronomy – Historical Narratives – eg. Chronicles – Drama – eg. Job – Proverb – guides only – Prophetic – eg. Isaiah “Thus says the Lord” – Gospel – eg. Matthew – to reveal Jesus as the Son of God – Letter – eg Timothy – written to a certain person or a church (ii) Structure: the significance of structure is that:- – the author has constructed his work in such a way as to convey the message – the structure is like the skeleton on which the flesh hangs – the individual passages need to be seen in relation to the whole
Eg. Acts -Key Verse is Acts 1: 8. Structure is :- The Expansion of the Gospel into :- – Jerusalem – Judea – Samaria – Ends of the Earth
8 Kinds of Structure 1. Geographical – Places (Joshua, Acts) 2. Chronological – Time & Events (Genesis, Exodus) 3. Biographical – Persons (Judges, Ruth) 4. Topical – Ideas (Jeremiah , Matthew) 5. Logical – Ideas, progression of thought (Romans, Galatians) 6. Anthology – Collections (Proverbs) 7. Drama – (Job, Revelation, Song of Solomon)
Letter Structure 1. Name of Writer 2. Name of Recipient 3. Greetings / Blessing 4. Thanksgiving and / or prayer 5. Body of Letter 6. Final Greetings / Benediction 7. Brief autograph (since letter written by scribe)
Laws of Composition 1. Comparison : Alike (Romans 7:1-6)
2. Contrast : Unalike ( Acts 4: 36-5:1)
3. Repetition : The word ‘holy’ in Leviticus. Paul’s testimony in Acts – 3 times
4. Principality : Emphasis and de-emphasis . (Attention to what is stated and what is not). Note the amount of space devoted to the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.
5. Continuity: Progression (Similar to repetition, but with some variation). Eg. Luke 15 – the three “lost” parables
6. Climax : Everything builds to a high point. Eg Job, Revelation, Ecclesiastes
7. Radiation: Central point or theme and everything ties into it. Eg. Philemon v10 Philippians 2:1-11
8. Interchange: Topic begins with subject A, goes on to subject B, then back to subject A again. Eg. Luke 1-3 A. John’s birth B. Jesus’ birth C. John born D. Jesus born Another example is chapters of 1 Samuel 9. Cruciality: Pivot or turning point eg. Mark 8: 27-30, 2 Samuel between chapters 11 & 12
(iii) Historical Background: here we seek to build the circumstances or occasion for the document. What was the situation into which it was written? Eg. when Nero was persecuting Christians in Rome, Paul wrote the letter to encourage the believers to keep up the faith so they will receive God’s eternal reward in heaven.
Questions to ask:- 1. Who was the author? 2. When was it written? 3. From where was it written? 4. To where was it sent? 5. What was the purpose or the occasion of the document?
There are 2 stages to this:-
1. Internal Evidence: what can we learn from the book itself? 2. External Evidence: what can we learn from other sources? I) Inside the Bible II) Outside the Bible
(iv) Meanings : What does this word mean in context?
What did the writer mean by the phrase he uses? How do the sentences and paragraphs relate together?
Figures of speech: it is well to note that the bible uses many figures of speech. This can help to interpret certain words or passages correctly eg.
1. Simile: direct comparison of 2 things that are essentially different. Uses words like as or so. Eg. James 1:10 ”they will pass away like a wild flower”
2. Metaphor: Indirect comparison of 2 things. Asserts that one thing IS another. Eg. Matthew 3:7 “you brood of vipers”
3. Allegory: an extended metaphor that has the form of a story eg. the Narnia books
4. Analogy: a more full comparison , showing several points of similarity between unlike things. Eg. John 15:1-9 “vine and branches”
5. Irony: implies something different even opposite of what is stated. Used for effect of humour or sarcasm. eg. 1 Corinthians 4:8 “ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!”
6. Personification: attributing life or human qualities to inanimate objects eg. Proverbs 9:1-3 “Wisdom has built her house she has set up its seven pillars”
7. Apostrophe: speaking to things, abstract ideas or imaginary objects eg. 1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death where is thy sting?”
8. Hyperbole: exaggeration , not to deceive but to emphasise a point eg. Mark 9:43 “if your hand causes you to sin cut it off”
9. Rhetorical Questions: questions which the author does not expect an answer. Used to press home a point. Eg. Matthew 7:16 “ Are grapes gathered from thorns?”
10. Litotes: understatement. Often used as irony. Eg. Acts 15:2 “no small” discussion
11. Metonymy: the substitution of one term for another eg. Romans 3:30 saying the “circumcised” instead of the “Jews”.
12. Synecdoche: part of something is mentioned but the whole is meant eg. Galatians 1:16 “do not confer with flesh and blood”
13. Idiom: an expression belonging to a particular language that cannot be guessed from the actual words.eg Matthew 13:31-32 “as small as a grain of mustard seed”. This was a saying in that original language even though it was not actually the smallest seed that ever existed.
14. Euphemism: a mild expression for something that may sound offensive eg. Genesis 4:1 – “Adam knew Eve“ really meaning they had sexual relations.
D) Application: (red pen) the goal of all bible study. These questions are designed to help us apply the truths we have discovered to our own lives. 5 questions to ask:-
a) What are the basic truths in this passage of the book? b) How does this truth apply to my life? Be specific c) In view of these truths what changes do I need to make in my life? d) How do I plan to carry out these changes? e) What is my personal prayer regarding this truth and changes I need to make?
Pitfalls in Application: that one should be aware of:-
a) Mistaking interpretation for application b) Having an emotional response to a biblical truth but not following through to put it into action c) Frustration in not seeing quick results and changes in your life
How to apply your interpretations can be made in red pen on your vertical charts.
Conclusion: The whole method of Inductive Bible Study may seem overwhelming at first. However the solution is just to digest one small part at a time. When you take the time to pray and analyse each part for yourself, you will find it will all make sense. A summary of the main elements of the inductive method can be made as follows:-
a) Prayer– asking for God’s illumination
b) Observations: this is like the fact finding mission from the text itself
c) Interpretation: what was the original writer trying to say to the original readers of that time?
d) Application: in light of the context, how can I apply this same message correctly to my own life?
e) Prayer – ask God to help you apply these truths in your own life and how to do this.
Another key to Inductive Bible Study is asking good questions. If you find the right questions it can really open up the bible for your heart mind and soul. It is almost like entering another world into biblical times.
Source: Article adapted from study notes – School of Biblical Studies – Youth With a Mission – Canberra
