How to Slay Your Dragon

Psychological Development

Psychological development is defined as the development of a human beings’ cognitive, emotional, behavioral, intellectual, and social capabilities and functioning over the course of a normal life span. In layman’s terms, your psychological development is responsible for how you perceive and address issues that come along with life. It’s important to assess where you are psychologically, as this plays a huge role in your ability to successfully achieve your goals.

Psychological Assessment

Although society and culture can influence the development of the mind and brain, the biggest influence comes from the environment of the home. Reflect for a moment on how you were raised. How did your parents or guardians speak to you? What morals and values did they instill in you? What practices and traditions did they pass along to you? Now, give thought to how you’re raising your own children, or how you plan to if you’ve not yet had any.

If you’re parenting the same way you were parented, it’s likely because you believe you were brought up with decent morals, values, and practices. You feel as though your parents adequately prepared you for the difficulties of life. If you’re parenting style is completely opposite of the way you were brought up, it’s because you’ve seen the negative impact your upbringing has had on your psychological development. You likely feel blindsided by how arduous life has been and have vowed to make sure your children are better equipped. For those in the child-rearing stage of life, how would you assess your child’s psychological development? Are you raising them in such a way that is equipping them to not only fight the serpents and dragons of life, but to slay them? Or are you sheltering them from the unpleasantries of the world?

Self-Image

I am reminded of the Gergesene Demoniac in Matthew 8. This was a man so severely possessed that even chains and shackles could not contain him. He spent his days screaming, whaling, and cutting himself. Everyone in the town was terrified of him. Yet when he threw himself before the feet of the Messiah, Jesus was not shocked or afraid. On the contrary, He compassionately healed the man, casting out a legion of demons with a single word, “Go!” The Messiah could not have done this had He doubted who He was. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, we never once see Him question His position as the Son of God. He was confident in Himself and undoubtedly sure of His purpose in the earth. Jesus had a healthy self-image.

Self-image is a significant factor in your psychological development. Stephen explains how a poor self-image can create low self-esteem through the example of dancing. Immediately, I felt convicted. I distinctively remember a moment I shared with my late grandmother when I was about eight years old. LeAnn Womack had recently released a song titled, “I Hope You Dance” and my grandmother had asked me to sing it at her funeral when the time came. From that moment on, the lyrics of that song stuck with me. So much so that when my grandmother and mother passed within two days of each other, that song immediately came to mind. I say all of this to say, up until hearing the host speak on dancing, I’ve always made the choice to sit it out. Though the women who raised me always encouraged me to dance, my self-image prohibited me from doing so.

Dragons & Serpents

The way in which you see yourself will not only keep you from dancing, but will keep you from fighting the serpents of life. Even more so, your self-image will cause you to doubt your role as a child of God. From the beginning, this has been the first trick of the enemy. We see Satan in the Garden of Eden, convincing Eve that God does not have her best interest in mind. We notice Satan again in Matthew 4 attacking the identity of Jesus with the words, “If you are the Son of God…” Our identity is repeatedly being attacked in the same way. After all, there is no new thing under the sun. The same serpent from the garden is the same serpent we war against today. In order to become a dragon-slayer, to teach the next generation how to slay their dragons, we must attend to our self-image.

As we are re-shaping our psychological development, it is crucial to understand that life is full of serpents. There will always be issues along the way that hinder you from reaching your goals. The serpent may present itself through fear, doubt, anxiety, depression, addiction, laziness, bitterness, grief, unforgiveness, etc. However, John 16:33 reassures us that no matter what serpent we face, Jesus has already overcome it. The world is full of troubles, tribulations, and evils. We are encouraged to take heart because our God has overcome this world, and He has designed us to overcome as well. Through practicing His teachings alone, we become equipped dragon-slayers.

Lighthouse Keeper

Stephen describes a healthy self-image to be that of a lighthouse keeper. The job of a lighthouse keeper is to keep the lighthouse lit. If it isn’t lit, then how will those in danger of sinking know where to go for help? With any job, you must be consistent in showing up for work daily. Keeping the light on consistently, no matter the weather, will in turn save lives. Imagine if Jesus woke up on the boat and decided the storm was too monstrous to continue into the country of the Gaderenes. The man with the legion would have never been healed. Once again, Jesus knew who He was. His ministry was personal. In turn, we have to know our why. If it isn’t personal, we forfeit our opportunity to be a lighthouse keeper. We forfeit the opportunity to walk alongside the Messiah in seeking and saving that which is lost.

Something Has to Change

As always, the “something” that has to change is us. Our self-image must become that of the image of the Messiah. We are here in this world to make it a better place by starting with ourselves. Self-improvement does not happen on its own. We must allot a time during our day to meditate on our lives and on the Word of God. Allow His words to shape your mind, the way you see, perceive, and respond to the world around you. Devote a portion of your day to mental preparation and psychological motivation. In other words, set yourself up for success by intentionally setting your mind on victory daily.

Contemporary Speaks is living up to its name as the host, Stephen, continues to speak on all things contemporary. The new calendar year has recently begun and many are finding themselves already dropping the ball on their recent resolutions to change. In fact, the second Friday of January has been coined “Quitter’s Day” due to the fact that majority of people throw in the towel on their resolutions in just two weeks or less. Stephen brings forth another encouraging word to assist the audience in developing and achieving deep-rooted change. In the seventh episode of Something Has to Change, he suggests that proper psychological development is the key to forming and maintaining new healthy practices.

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