Let's explore and get curious about how IFS aligns with a Christian worldview.
I recently had the privilege of meeting Dr.
Dick Schwartz,
The founder of IFS,
And he shared a story that I had read in his book,
No Bad Parts,
But had kind of forgotten about.
For several years,
Dr.
Schwartz conducted IFS trainings at an evangelical seminary.
And as expected,
A debate arose regarding whether people were inherently good or bad.
And Dr.
Schwartz pointed out that the Bible states that man is created in the image of God.
And the students acknowledged this truth,
But with a caveat,
They believe that original sin obscures that inherent goodness.
And Dr.
Schwartz suggested translating original sin as burdens,
Finding common ground between IFS and their Christian beliefs.
As I said before,
IFS proposes that each person has multiple subpersonalities or parts with their own unique characteristics,
Beliefs,
And emotions.
These parts interact and influence our thoughts,
Feelings,
And behaviors.
From a Christian perspective,
These internal parts represent different aspects of our human nature,
Including emotions,
Thoughts,
Desires,
Beliefs,
And spirituality.
The Bible teaches us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image,
Just like Dr.
Schwartz told the folks and reminded them at the seminary.
And IFS provides a framework to explore and heal these aspects,
Fostering harmony within ourselves.
Integrating IFS with a Christian worldview involves aligning the principles of IFS with biblical teachings and the teachings of Jesus.
For example,
IFS emphasizes self-leadership,
Where the self,
Also known as the true self,
Emerges as the compassionate and wise core of our being.
And from a Christian standpoint,
The self,
And that is with a capital S,
And I know some people can get triggered by that,
But if you frame it this way,
Self represents the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit,
Guiding and transforming our lives,
And at that core,
At our self,
There's something bigger than us that also includes us that we don't need to minimize working together.
The healing process in IFS aligns with the biblical concept of redemption.
Just as Christ offers redemption and restoration,
IFS helps us understand and heal our wounded parts,
Leading to transformation and wholeness.
It provides a practical framework for integrating faith and psychological growth.
Approaching IFS with compassion and addressing the fears of uncomfortable parts is important.
I encourage you to embrace the parts that question if IFS aligns with the Bible and what all this self-talk is all about.
Remember that Jesus emphasizes love for God,
Others,
And ourselves,
And IFS should support and enhance our relationships with others,
But also with ourselves.
I know from my background,
Even though my early faith leaders were doing the best that they could,
I heard a lot about loving God,
Loving others,
But I didn't hear a lot about loving myself.
And we've got to remain healthy.
We've got to love ourselves so that we can effectively live in the world and embrace who we are,
But also it's hard to,
And maybe even impossible,
To love God and others if we don't preface that with loving ourselves.
It's okay to remember that while IFS is a valuable psychological framework,
It doesn't have to replace the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in our lives,
Or what I like to call our beloved self.
Us and God and something bigger than ourself at our core,
Working in synergy together.
And in fact,
IFS acknowledges the central role of the Holy Spirit within the framework.
The ultimate source of healing and restoration comes from our relationship with God,
Which is at the core of our beloved self.
For those interested in exploring IFS from a Christian perspective,
Seek guidance through prayer and discernment,
And it may be helpful to find a trained IFS practitioner.
Finding someone who is knowledgeable about both IFS and Christianity can help maybe some of your parts that are anxious to kind of alleviate some of their fears so the work can go farther,
And it can ensure that the integration remains grounded in a worldview that you come from.
The goal is to deepen your understanding of yourself,
Your relationship with God,
And with others.
As I conclude,
Remember to approach psychological frameworks like IFS with an open and discerning mind.
Psychology offers valuable insights into self-understanding and growth.
They don't have to be at odds with our faith,
And by integrating IFS and the Christian worldview,
We can strive for healing,
Restoration,
And a deeper relationship with God.
So I hope this was helpful for you.
I know that this framework has been transformative for my faith.
Go out and be curious about your faith and spirituality and IFS,
And know that it's okay to be who you are,
To be that person who loves the teachings of Jesus as you go throughout this journey.
All right,
Take care.
