JoHari Window

Hello!

I am so sorry we had to cancel our in-person services until next Wednesday.

But, as a church, we want to avoid spreading covid which, unfortunately, has caused 4 people to be sick.

So, at the present time, we plan to start back with in-person meetings, next Wednesday, August 30.

Tonight, Sunday morning and Sunday evening, at the normal service times, I will present on online devotion

An Age of Outrage

Tonight, I would like to help us as we think about our interactions with others.

Almost 3 1/2 years ago we did a Wednesday night Bible study entitled: Christians at our Best

It was based on a study developed by Ed Stetzer and his, 2018 book: Christians in the Age of Outrage.

At that time we talked extensively about the amount of anger and rage in our society.

And since then it has only gotten worse!

But Christians are SUPPOSED to model something else: the image of Christ.

When I think about Jesus, I think of someone who was calm and loving — even in the face of anger and violent rage.

As says: 1 Peter 2:20–23 (NASB95) … if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Examine Ourselves

How do we arrive at the place where we reflect the image of Jesus?

Obviously, there will be a lot of prayer and soaking in the Word of God.

But in times of prayer, we need to pray what King David prayed in:

Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT) Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me [examine me] and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

We not only need to pray, but also OBEY the Word of God.

Before we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are told to examine ourselves. Why?

Because as says 1 Corinthians 11:27–29 (NLT) … anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

I often tell our folks to submit to the searchlight of the Holy Spirit. Let’s allow Him to put us under His microscope.

And when He reveals sin, may we repent of it and run after rigtheousness.

We are again told in:

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT) Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. …

And yet, we are not the best judge of ourselves.

We absolutely need to submit to the Holy Spirit who, as Jesus said in John 16:13 (LSB) “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; …

He will guide us into the truth about ourselves.

And when He reveals sin, let is confess them, repent of them and chase after Jesus and His righteousness.

As David said in: Psalm 32:3–5 (LSB) When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not cover up; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh;” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

We can also benefit from relationships with others:

James 5:16 (LSB) Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

JoHari Window

This is what brings me to the JoHari Window.

Created by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingam in 1955, it is a tool that can be used to help us better understand our relationships with ourselves and others.

Here you can see the basic structure of the JoHari Window:

The Open area represents things that are openly known and talked about – and which may be seen as strengths or weaknesses. This is the self that we choose to share with others

The Blind area represents things that others observe that we don’t know about [that to which we are blind]. Again, they could be positive or negative behaviours, and, even though we cannot see them, they WILL affect the way that others act towards us.

The Hidden area contains aspects of our self that we know about but keep hidden from others.

The Unknown area contains things that nobody knows about us – including ourselves. This may for any number of reasons. But, thankfully, the One who made us, God, knows this area of our life along with all the others.

This is a basic representation, BUT our lives are NEVER equally proportioned like this.

This is a dynamic tool rather than a static representation.

The JoHari Window is different with every person — and even then, constantly changing.

It is different with God and changes as we are honest, open and submissive to Him.

The way that the JoHari Window changes depends on several factors.

Our Open area changes depending on what we are willing to tell/share (how transparent are we with others).

It depends on how much we ask for feedback from others AND how much we actually LISTEN to what people say.

I would hope that our goal would be to especially reduce the Unknown area of our lives.

Because what is unknown can really hinder us — with God and with others.

Prayer

This is just an introduction into the use of this tool.

A tool that can be used to examine our relationships with others.

A tool that can be used when we pray.

A tool that can help us as we read and study God’s Word.

In fact, I would like to encourage us to dig into the Word of God and let it help us be more like Jesus.

To allow the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of our lives that need improvement.

So that we are not as subject to flying off the handle and mimicking this world’s rage.

That we develop relationships with others who are Christ followers and allow them to speak into our lives.

That we be more open and accepting of others.

Not only asking how they can help us — but how can we help them.

As Philippians 2:3–4 (LSB) doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves, 4 not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Prayer