TYPES OF SYMPTOMS MANIFESTED BY PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON MASKS - 2 Cor. 10:8-12
Just as a doctor diagnoses causes by looking for physical symptoms so a contextualizer should ascertain spiritual causes by looking for certain symptoms of pretentiousness. The following is a brief list of some the symptomatic types of people who are habitually using masks to cover over their deficiencies. A contextualizer will be open to the Spirit’s probing into his own spiritual, social, emotional, moral, or intellectual inadequacies by convicting him of these various symptoms. Certain cultural differences will occur, but the majority of the symptoms are manifested in all cultures, by all personalities, and in most organizations.
1. Proud People - These are arrogant types who are high-minded, haughty, and exclusive in their interactions with others. Often they are covering up their own feelings of insecurity with a tough exterior. Since they depend on their aggressive manner to get what they want, they are often rebuffed by others for reasons of faulty motives. Presumptuous also characterizes these people in thinking that they can get their way via their position, background, or connections. Their overbearing manner turns many away from the Christ who was meek and humble in mind. The Bible warns these folks that God resists the proud and pride goes before destruction.
2. Passive-Aggressive - These folks are able to express their opposition by quietly resisting authority. They want to control others to their indirect means of rebellion. They are fond of using undermining techniques to coerciveful subvert the success of others. It is often hard to tell if these people are for or against you since they have a marvelous ability to disguise their motives. Since they are subtly in opposition to most changes they are stubborn even to the promptings of the Spirit of God. Using border - line compliance with the rules they are skilled at using delay tactics to get what they want. They will even go behind others’ back to discredit people whom they do not like.
3. Rejection - Complex People - These folks want to be accepted more than anything else in the world. They are eager to give their loyalties to whomever will accept them and help them with their problems. They have experienced rejection, isolation, and estrangement from some of their family previously so they are eager for a sense of belonging. They are very insecure when they think that they do not receive an adequate amount of attention. They cannot stand to be ignored, excluded, or reject in any way. They do not do well with assignments where they have to work along. They often lack any suitable amount of social skills and they hate to be teased.
4. Unteachable People - These folks are unwilling to learn from their circumstances, others’ advice, or experiences. They resist change because they see the traditional ways as being best. They have a basket full of excuses for every good idea to improve their character qualities. By relying on their past laurels they tend to live in the past rather than the present. Pride blocks them from experiences new ideas that are not directly in agreement with previous formed assumptions.
5. Defiant People - These people resist authority and carry on a power struggle with their authorities. They openly enjoy confronting others as they are possessed with a toughness of character. Often they are fond of using statements like, ``You can’t make me do anything I do not want to do. Or Who do you think you are trying to dictate terms to me!’’ One can tell when they are opposing an idea as they frown, grimace, or cynically mimic the authorities’ mannerisms. These are people who may even resort to physical violence to get what they are after.
6. Failure Oriented People - These are people who are convinced that whatever they do will eventually result in failure. They often avoid starting up a new task because they are sure it will be a vain effort. Even when they succeed they are easily frustrated and are ready to quit for the slightest reasons. They are easily put off when any obstacles gets in their way. They are easily discouraged by criticisms from others and tend to lose confidence in themselves, God, or their organization when accusations are hurled.
7. Underachieving People - These folks do just enough to get by. They do not value hard work because they have a fatalistic attitude toward success. They believe that if God wants them to succeed it will come to them. Often they use their resigned mentality to get out of doing what they are expected to do. These people represent the vast majority of the followers in society.
8. Undisciplined People - These are people who are easily distracted from their duties. They generally have short attention spans and are unable to maintain their concentration for long periods of time. They are rarely able to complete a task without being drawn away by someone or something.
9. Immature People - These people have low level of emotional, social, intellectual, moral, and spiritual development. They are usually unable to maintain self-control when difficulties arise. Often they exhibit behavior more suitable for children than adults. They tend to become upset easily and are prone to temper displays when they are unable to get what they want. They are frequently thinking that they are personally helpless unless someone comes to their assistance. They are enjoy entreating the help of the others since they feel that the are incompetent to solve their own problems.
10. Perfectionistic People - These people are unusually anxious about avoiding mistakes. They often will go to great lengths in making sure that everything is right before trying something new. Their close attention to details make it difficult to work with these folks. They are insistent upon doing things in the ``right way’’ or not at all. Generally, perfectionists are people who have been brought up with critical parents who insist on having things done in certain manners. As a result these people are easily frustrated, give up easily, and are often heard saying, ``I can’t!’’
11. Hostile Aggressive People - These people are often prone to anger or displays of hostility. They are very direct in their approaches to people, problems, and the presentation of ideas. They are fond of trying to intimidate others through their tough exteriors. By using the bullying approach they are actually trying to cover over their own insecure feelings. Antagonistic toward authority, they find it extremely difficult to control their anger in meetings, committees, or organizational get togethers.
12. Withdrawn People - These are people who tend to avoid social interaction. They are quiet and unobtrusive and do not warmly respond to others initially. They prefer to be by themselves where they can feel safe and secure from all external threats. Actually the are masking their lack of confidence when they are some of the most gifted people. They hesitate to try something new until they have seen many others try things and succeed. They hate to fail because it accentuates their own sense of inadequacy. They do not like to call attention to themselves so they often prefer solitude to anything else.
13. Overachieving People - These are people who are just the opposite of the under-achievers. They try to more than anyone else to make sure that they are noticed. They love to work hard because they have an attitude that one only gets what he deserves. This person measures others more in terms of their accomplishments than by their relationships. They believe that God helps those who help themselves. Often they use their hyper-active mentality to look down on others who are not as energetic as they are. These people represent the few determined people who enjoy managing others time, resources, and schedules.
Contextualizers can use the above symptoms to help them diagnose some of the needs of people they seek to communicate the truth of the scriptures to. Rather than using the above criteria list as club to beat people into submission, it should be used to help minister the grace, love, and sufficiency they can find in Christ. Contextualizers will have to overcome their own tendencies to exhibit any of these symptoms by stripping away their masks of pretentiousness. Paul was such a man. Some of the immature Corinthians had started to discredit Paul because of his appearance. They said things like:
``Paul is timid in his manner, weak in body, ugly, unimpressive in his demeanor, and even shy in his speech. He is a man of little stature, thin-haired, crooked in his legs, his shaggy eyebrows meet together on his forehead, and he has a hooked nose.’’
They tried to discredit him by assessing his worth by outward criteria rather than the substance of his character. This is a typical masking technique of many immature people. Paul countered with statements like:
``Far be it from us to include ourselves among or compare ourselves with some people who commend themselves, but when their only standard of measurement is to measure themselves with themselves, and the their comparison does not go beyond comparing themselves with themselves, they are lacking sense. As for us, we will boast according to the measure of the sphere God has apportioned to us as our measure . . . Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord, for it is not the man who commends himself who is proved to be of sterling quality, but the man whom the Lord commends.’’ (2 Cor. 10:8-18)
Comparisons should principally be made with Christ and not with others. He is our measuring rod and our standard of what is good, right, just, and perfect. Otherwise we will be content to simply be better than someone else. When we measure ourselves with Christ there is no room left for self-congratulations!
