“How People Grow” by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, is a book that teaches its readers that all types of growth that a human being undergoes are a type of spiritual growth. Relieving themselves of the concepts of conventional theology Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend pursue a more practical and passionate form of theology through their counseling. The two doctors aim to use their counseling techniques to be able to help the people eliminate their misconceptions of how God works and also to fortify the Christian worldview of how growth truly happens.
“Introduction to Human Services” by: Marianne Woodside and Tricia McClam gives its readers a concrete introduction to the profession of Human Services. The book not only gives its readers a historical background about the field, but it also gives the readers a practical overview of the said profession. The book also provides the reader with the different qualifications needed by a human service worker. The readers are given information about how one must explore the concepts of serving the person as a whole, using an interdisciplinary approach, relating with a helper and a client, training generalists, and empowering clients.
What is your view of human nature?
When discussing Human Nature, certain personalities come to mind, Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx. Although Marxists state that Karl Marx denies human nature, it is actually not true because there are lots of cases wherein Marx used and explored Human nature as an important factor in Capitalism. Marx refers to human nature as ‘species-being’ or ‘species essence’. Just like Karl Marx, I believe that humans are capable of making or shaping their own nature to some extent. It is said that Human Nature is not an abstraction in each individual, but instead, it is an ensemble of social relations. I believe that Human nature is greatly determined by social relations, although it is not the only variable determining one’s nature. Like Marx, I believe that one’s Human Nature conditions how one expresses his or her life. It can also be said that one is deeply affected by one’s environment, but one can also affect one’s environment with one’s inherent human nature.
What is your view of God’s attitude towards the poor and those who are suffering?
The different passages in the bible state God’s attitude towards the poor, most especially in the actions of Jesus Christ, which helps us understand how we should deal with the poor and the suffering. As is exemplified by one of the eight beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of God is theirs”, it is not necessary for one to be poor in spirit, but it is also important to take notice that most people who are impoverished are also poor in spirit. God does not look down on the poor, neither does he encourage poverty or suffering for that matter. The bible shows us how God tries his best to alleviate the suffering of his people. I believe that we should not encourage the poverty or the suffering of people around us, but instead alleviate them. One must always keep an open eye towards those who are suffering and who are experiencing poverty. God teaches us to act with sympathy towards those who are in need instead of giving a sympathetic ear or showing apathy.
What specific scripture is important in your understanding of God’s attitude towards the poor and the suffering?
Mark 10:21 – “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ ” This scripture states how unimportant it is for one to be exceedingly rich. This verse states how God looks down on material wealth, and how one must do the same. Therefore, we can definitely say that being poor is not necessarily bad, and in fact is a blessing, due to the fact that poor people are not attached to material wealth and simply looks towards God for comfort. Same with people who are suffering, one who is suffering feels little comfort, therefore, these people are not attached to the conveniences of life and simply look to God for comfort in their times of pain.
2 Corinthians 8:1-3, 9 — “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” These verses state how Jesus Christ himself walked this earth in poverty. In doing so, Jesus met trials and hardships, but nonetheless, he lived a happy and simple life. It is in this scripture that one realizes that God has sympathy towards the poor and does not mock the state of being of these people.
How does your understanding inform how you would work with others who are in need?
Whether a person is in a state of suffering, or in a state of poverty, one must never work with them in apathy. Placing oneself self in the shoe of others is a definite must for one to be able to work appropriately with others. Just like Jesus Christ said, “Let he who has not sin, cast the first stone”, which means that no one has the right to judge others haphazardly. Instead of acting in indifference, one must show true sympathy and concern towards others. Taking note of this, in working with others, I would do my best to break the barriers that are present and I will interact honestly with those who are in need.
What is your understanding of the role of faith in the developing process for both the help giver and the help receiver?
Just like a doctor, how is one supposed to be able to cure somebody’s sickness if one does not believe in his/her equipment? It’s almost like a soldier going into war without having complete faith in his weapons and his ability to win the war and come home safe and sound. More than any weapon or equipment, it is highly important that one has faith in God. There are things in this world that can help a person, but nothing in this world can help a person as much as faith can. Faith in God’s actions, in God’s mercy, and most especially in God himself, helps us break barriers in this world, helps us believe in the power of other people, and most importantly, helps us live and let live. It is our faith in God that we are able to believe all suffering will end, and one day, things will get better.
How does your understanding impact the way that you view God’s work in your own life?
Not all people enjoy the comfort of having health and wealth. In many scriptures, it is stated that material wealth is not a good thing to have. In my point of view, since I enjoy privileges and advantages that many others are unable to enjoy, I do not consider it as something purely evil. Instead, these advantages that God has bestowed upon me are meant to be shared. It is only right for me to be able to give people comfort in the times wherein poverty and suffering strip them of all joys in life. Fully understanding that what I have are mere comforts, I also understand how it feels to be without them, and I understand how those without it feel.
What similarities and differences stand out to you in the approach to helping presented by Woodside and McClam and that presented by Cloud and Townsend?
There are various differences between the two books, but moreover, they have lots of similarities: There are predictable patterns of individual behavior that are characteristics of a social situation. Mental health may only be properly understood within the social environment in which it occurs. In Human Services, almost all problems are exclusive if not specific to an individual and the situation that he or she is currently experiencing. Also, in taking note that each individual’s situation is unique, one must work hard in coming up with a solution that is unique to the social situation.
What concepts struck you as particularly strong (or weak) in your reading of “How People grow”?
The part that struck me as particularly strong about the book, “How People Grow”, was when Dr. Henry Cloud mentioned that there are four popular ways of viewing personal growth: the experiential model, the sin model, the truth model, and the supernatural model. The sin model is briefly explained as all problems being the result of one’s sin. This is why, when one is confronted with a problem, may it be in marriage or in terms of depression, a helper is urged to find the sin causing this, and help the person to confess, repent or sin no more, just as the old church used to preach(1. God is good, 2. You are bad, 3. Stop it). The truth model, on the other hand, states that the truth would set you free. So if one feels somewhat constrained, it is because one lacks truth in his/her life. In this model, the helpers’ goal is to urge you to learn and memorize more scriptures, more verses, and more doctrines to instill truth in one’s mind, and hopefully make its way into one’s heart, behavior and emotions.
Passages that would emphasize the need to know the truth, and how one thinks in one’s heart are the ones used because this would lead to, “thinking truth to gain emotional health”. The supernatural model, on the other hand, had many variations. This model affects those people who believe that the Holy Spirit lives within us, and believes that one can receive healing and deliverance through the Holy Spirit. It is stated in the book that exchanged life people and other well-grounded students of the Spiritual life believed and trusted God to lead and help one make changes in their lives. Lastly, the experiential model describes how one has to get to the pain in one’s life and then somehow “get it out”. In this model, one needs to seek the parts of the past where the pain is present and thereafter seek healing, through prayer, imagery, or clearing out the pain. Proponents of this model believe that Jesus Christ transcends through time and can actually help by being there in one’s pain or abuse, and could alter it.
It has been vividly explained how the truth model is actually the most important for Dr. Henry because I also believe that the power of the bible. Also, I affirm that God’s truth could change my life, and in all this, I can find my personal growth.
References
Free Essays, Papers, Reports(2004). Human Nature. Web.
Generous Giving (2007). Bible on Money. Web.
Haught, J. F., (1988). The Revelation of God in History. Web.
McClam, T. & Woodside, M., (2002). An Introduction to Human Services. University of Tenessee Knoxville.
Mehr, J. & Kanwischer, R. (2004) Human services: concepts and intervention strategies. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Zondervan: Live Life Inspired(2004). How People Grow. Web.