Associates in Christian Counseling

The Tiger in Each of Us
Dr. Joe Verga, Associates Director

Working as a therapist for thirty years definitely impacts one’s perspective on life and human nature. So when the media storm about Tiger Woods blew in, two thoughts came to mind. First, this very successful, competitive and highly skilled athlete seems quite narcissistic and is probably a sex addict. Second, there’s a Tiger in each of us.

What I mean here is that in each of us there resides a fallen nature that seeks its own way, that may rebel against authority, that thinks we are better than others and, therefore, entitled to this or that. A question about the root of evil came up one time when the Pharisees complained about the lack of ceremonial cleanliness displayed by Jesus and the disciples. Jesus said,

What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.
Mark 7:20-23

Christ’s body, the church, at its best is both the welcome center and treatment center for those battle weary travelers on the road of life. We gain entrance not by being good, but by acknowledging the reality of our fallen nature and the need for both forgiveness and communion with God and with others.

I have treated addiction in many forms including substance abuse, sex/pornography, gambling, perfectionism and perhaps the less well known addiction, religiosity. This was the addiction of the Pharisees which bolstered their self-esteem, rationalized their sense of entitlement and kept others at arms length in the name of purity and tradition. The Christian counselor’s office is the perfect meeting place for a theology that understands human frailty and the reality of social and familial dysfunction that is fueled from within.

I will not speculate on the sincerity of Tiger’s apologies because Christian theology also teaches that in time the fruits in a person’s life will reveal the condition of their heart. What I will say is that God seems to do some of His best work in the midst of our biggest failures. It is far easier to observe the shortcomings of others than it is to look honestly at one’s own heart. It is not enough that we keep our tiger in a cage most of the time. We must see to it that the tiger within meets the Lion of Judah, so that it may know true and lasting change. Only then will we see to it that no one misses the grace of God.