Below is a video from the presentation of “Post-Traumatic Stress.” For the various counseling options available from this material visit www.summitrdu.com/counseling.
NOTE: Many people have asked how they can get a copy of the seminar notebook referenced in this verbal presentation. You can request a copy from Summit’s admin over counseling at counseling@summitrdu.com (please note this is an administrative account; no individual or family counsel is provided through e-mail).
“Learning to Live ‘For’ Instead of ‘In Response To’ Again”
STEWARD all of my life for God’s glory.
Trauma: Step Nine, Brad Hambrick from The Sam James Institute on Vimeo.
Memorize: I Peter 4:19 (ESV), “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” As you memorize this passage, reflect upon these key points:
- “Those who suffer” – In the capital “T” suffering of trauma or suffering’s lesser expressions, we all need this passage.
- “God’s will” – How we reconcile intense experiences of suffering and God’s will may be a mystery until we see Jesus.
- “Entrust their souls” – Life is a choice between entrusting our souls to God or seeking to protect ourselves.
- “To a faithful Creator” – If you made it to this point in the study, you have many evidences of God’s faithfulness even after the experience of trauma.
- “While doing good” – Without a returning sense of purpose-mission, suffering would drain our vitality for engaging life.
Teaching Notes
To “steward” something means to use it for God’s intended purpose. It is important to remember that what is being stewarded is the life of the group member in general, not the sin specifically.
“Having come to terms with the traumatic past, the survivor faces the task of creating a future. She has mourned the old self that the trauma destroyed; now she must develop a new self… The old beliefs that gave meaning to her life have been challenged; now she must find a new a sustaining faith (p. 196).” Judith Hermann in Trauma and Recovery
“PTSD is a serious and debilitating form of suffering. It can cripple a person’s ability to live life, relate to others, or function with some measure of stability. But it cannot prevent you from glorifying God. It can make it more challenging and difficult, but it cannot render you incapable of loving God and others by his grace (p. 30).” Tim Lane in PTSD