Features
Things are walking over us -Part 1
I write as I am led by my instincts which invariably is controlled by God’s Holy Spirit which dwells within me.
I am therefore being motivated to wear my preacher’s cap this week to address an issue which I believe agitates the minds of many believers.
Many people have doubts about the authenticity of the Bible due to the level of poverty amongst believers as well as lack of many Christians being at the commanding heights of business, governance and organisations in society contrary to what the Bible teaches.
When you enter into a rich man’s home in his absence and if the wife is also not around, usually, it is the steward or house help who is in charge of affairs, that is if the children in the house are very young.
Instead of the children being in charge of affairs, due to lack of knowledge, the house help takes charge of affairs in the house. This is the reason why although the word of God makes it clear that Christians are to be in charge in all spheres of life, the reverse is the case.
The richest man in the world currently is not a Christian. In fact, a study conducted by an organisation called New World Wealth revealed that out of the 13.1 millionaires in the world, just about 56.2 per cent are Christians contrary to the expectation that overwhelming majority should be Christians.
The cause of this seemingly contradictory occurrence from what the Bible portrays is the lack of understanding of the scriptures, specifically Genesis Chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 which states, “And God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
The lack of understanding of these scripture verses is the basis for the inability of Christians to fulfill the dominion mandate that God purposed for believers. When the Bible says image and after our likeness, it does not mean a picture i.e. that when a man or woman looks in a mirror, what she or he sees is what God looks like.
It rather refers to the nature of God and the attributes. God expects human beings to express love, compassion, patience among others and more importantly, to exercise control or dominion on earth through his power that he made available to Adam and Eve when God created them. That was God’s original purpose and it has not changed.
When the first humans disobeyed God through the influence of Satan, man as in male and female, became corrupted and lost some of the power to exercise dominion as well as to fully exhibit the attributes of God.
Sin brought with it wicked thoughts and deeds and that was why Cain was able to murder his brother Abel as a result of anger and bitterness. The descendants of Cain who are popularly referred to as the line of wickedness brought the marrying of two or more wives and, hence side-chics.
God wishing for his original purpose for mankind to be restored, then hatched a plan resulting in the coming of Jesus that mankind through him would be restored to our original state in the Garden of Eden.
Christians therefore through the Holy Spirit are imbued with creativity which is an attribute of God and are uniquely placed to be innovative so that they can create things and provide services that people need to enable them control the commanding heights of industry, governance technology and more importantly spiritual realm.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Features
Emotional distortions: The hidden barriers to mental well-being
Emotional distortions are twisted or irrational thought patterns that can have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being.
These distortions can lead to negative emotions, unhealthy behaviours, and strained relationships.
In this article, we will explore the types, causes, and consequences of emotional distortions, as well as strategies for overcoming them.
Types of Emotional Distortions
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in absolute terms.
2. Catastrophising: Exaggerating potential consequences.
3. Over generalisation: Making sweeping conclusions based on limited evidence.
4. Mind Reading: Assuming others’ thoughts or intentions.
5. Emotional Reasoning: Believing emotions reflect reality.
6. Should Statements: Imposing unrealistic expectations.
7. Labelling: Assigning negative labels to oneself or others.
8. Personalisation: Taking things too personally.
Causes of emotional distortions
1. Childhood experiences
2. Trauma
3. Stress
4. Social learning
5. Cultural influences
6. Genetic predisposition
Consequences of emotional distortions
1. Anxiety and depression
2. Relationship conflicts
3. Low self-esteem
4. Impaired decision-making
5. Substance abuse
6. Physical health problems
Overcoming emotional distortions
1. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Identifying and challenging distortions.
2. Mindfulness: Practising self-awareness.
3. Self-Reflection: Examining thought patterns.
4. Journaling: Recording and analysing thoughts.
5. Seeking support: Consulting therapists or support groups.
Strategies for Maintaining Mental Well-being
1. Practice self-compassion.
2. Engage in physical activity.
3. Cultivate social connections.
4. Prioritise sleep and nutrition.
5. Seek professional help when needed.
Conclusion
Emotional distortions can have a profound impact on mental health, but they can be overcome. By recognising and challenging these distortions, individuals can develop healthier thought patterns, improve relationships, and enhance overall well-being.
_References_
– Beck, A. T. (1977). Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
– Burns, D. D. (1999). The Feeling Good Handbook.
– American Psychological Association. (2022). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Where are we rushing to?
Sometimes you wonder what is going on especially the period before Christmas, in terms of the road incidents.
Yesterday, heading towards town, on my way to lay a wreath on my late wife’s grave, on the anniversary of her burial, I saw cars ahead of me suddenly indicating that they want to move into the middle lane from the inner lane.
I then saw, as I inched along, the reason for moving into the middle lane. Apparently an Uber vehicle had hit the side of a Mercedes Benz car and they were arguing and trying to sort things out.
It was apparent that the cause of the incident was due to rushing to get ahead of the Benz. A few moments of patience from both drivers could have avoided that incident.
It just does not make sense that you are in so much of a hurry that you could not let reason prevail for one of you to exercise restraint, to allow the other vehicle to pass and now both of you are wasting precious time on the road, the very thing you were trying to avoid in the first place.
There is another aspect that is related to this rushing that has to be addressed. People are no longer willing to show empathy with others, such that for a driver to pause for another driver to pass to join the traffic or to cross to the other lane is becoming non-existent these days.
We seem to be selfish in most cases which then causes drivers to rush to join the traffic after waiting and waiting without any one giving him or her the opportunity to move to join the traffic. I was tempted to be callous by ignoring vehicles that wanted to cross from my right to join the opposite traffic coming from the Ghana Law School entrance toward Tema Station, earlier this week due to the behaviour of some drivers toward me.
However, I remembered that I was a Christian and a higher standard of empathy is required of me, so I paused for them to cross from the exit point of the filling station to join the traffic going in the opposite direction.
I nearly knocked down two people earlier this week due to their lack of safety I suppose or is it a lack of focus on the streets. I think safety education needs to be intensified because of what happened on Monday.
How on earth would anyone attempt to cross a road, in front of a vehicle when a traffic light has just shown green? It really beats my imagination but that was exactly what happened and how I did not kill her, is attributable only to divine intervention.
Shortly before this incident, I had narrowly avoided hitting another person, who also crossed in front of me when I was about to join a main road with traffic coming from my left side so I was focused on my left side.
A vehicle was ahead of me and so was waiting to move as soon as it moves. The vehicle moved and just as I was about to follow, this young lady just showed up at my right fender and again I would say it was only by divine intervention that she escaped either serious injury or even death.
The level of selfish considerations in the country is becoming alarming by the day and it is something that must be addressed. The normal Ghanaian attitude of tolerance towards each other is now gradually vanishing from our society and is very worrying.
People are becoming much more inward looking and if something is not going to benefit him or her, they are just not interested. There are a few people who still do what is right and they should be commended to continue the good works.
My advice to my fellow Ghanaians is that, let us stop this rushing when we are driving especially as Christmas is approaching so we can save ourselves from avoidable incidents. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
