Added on Feb 14th, 2011 by Mark Sandford
Should we use the term, "inner child?"
Perhaps we should refine our understanding of the term. For the difficulty in some persons' minds is that they think we are talking about a separate part of us called the "inner child." That is, that there is a child part and an adult part in us in a way that is vaguely similar to DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder, which used to be called "Multiple Personality Disorder").
In scripture, there is no separate part that we can call the "inner child." But that does not give anyone license to throw away the concept altogether. For Paul said, When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me (1 Cor. 13:11). The implication is that many of the Corinthians had not outgrown their childhood ways of thinking and acting. And the need to mature from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity is spoken of throughout the Bible.
The clarification that is needed is that we should not speak of the "inner child" as if this is a separate part. Rather, we should emphasize that what some call "inner child" is simply the core of one's self. Preferably, it will always remain childlike (Mt. 10:15--Jesus said we should receive the Holy Spirit like little children; 1 Peter 2:2--Peter said that like little children we should crave pure spiritual milk). But in many cases it has been prevented by unhealed defects of character from fully developing beyond childishness into maturity.
Many Christians take the term, "inner child," in the way I am suggesting, and that this is the meaning that is intended in our teachings. But some persons cannot read the spirit of what is said, and become fixated on unsanctified popular meanings of words and catch-phrases. Not only for their sake, but for the sake of biblical accuracy, and to keep some who embrace our teachings from applying them in a wrong way, I make it my practice to avoid using the term, "inner child." I think it would be better if we would devise terms or descriptions that are not so potentially misleading. Or at the very least, when we us the term we should offer a biblical explanation of what we mean by it in order to prevent confusion.
Tags : Mark Sandford, Inner Child
Perhaps we should refine our understanding of the term. For the difficulty in some persons' minds is that they think we are talking about a separate part of us called the "inner child." That is, that there is a child part and an adult part in us in a way that is vaguely similar to DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder, which used to be called "Multiple Personality Disorder").
In scripture, there is no separate part that we can call the "inner child." But that does not give anyone license to throw away the concept altogether. For Paul said, When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me (1 Cor. 13:11). The implication is that many of the Corinthians had not outgrown their childhood ways of thinking and acting. And the need to mature from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity is spoken of throughout the Bible.
The clarification that is needed is that we should not speak of the "inner child" as if this is a separate part. Rather, we should emphasize that what some call "inner child" is simply the core of one's self. Preferably, it will always remain childlike (Mt. 10:15--Jesus said we should receive the Holy Spirit like little children; 1 Peter 2:2--Peter said that like little children we should crave pure spiritual milk). But in many cases it has been prevented by unhealed defects of character from fully developing beyond childishness into maturity.
Many Christians take the term, "inner child," in the way I am suggesting, and that this is the meaning that is intended in our teachings. But some persons cannot read the spirit of what is said, and become fixated on unsanctified popular meanings of words and catch-phrases. Not only for their sake, but for the sake of biblical accuracy, and to keep some who embrace our teachings from applying them in a wrong way, I make it my practice to avoid using the term, "inner child." I think it would be better if we would devise terms or descriptions that are not so potentially misleading. Or at the very least, when we us the term we should offer a biblical explanation of what we mean by it in order to prevent confusion.
Tags : Mark Sandford, Inner Child