Why do I behave the way I do? Dr. Randall and Beverly Janka recently offered a workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, to help answer this vexing question. A group of about 200 disciples from churches in the Southern African region attended and learned a biblical approach to a healthier soul, body and mind.
Singles, campus students and teens took time to look inside themselves and learned how to overcome negative behavioral patterns with the help of the Bible and how to “renew the mind” as Romans 12:2 calls us to do.
On Sunday, this dynamic couple from Maryland (USA) did another lesson with a continuation of the theme of worshipping God with your heart, mind and strength.
Here is feedback from some of the attendees on the impact of the workshop:
Dave: For me, the takeaway from the conference is how our upbringing affects us even at a later stage in life, our reactions are connected to where we were brought up. Being mindful of one’s life traps gives an understanding of your reactions and helps you make informed decisions, to make every effort to work on your reactions because this affects your relationships as well.
Shirley: The Jankas’ love for one another and continued growth in their marriage and faith is so inspiring. I also learned how holistic living is so important. We can’t strive to grow in our faith while neglecting the body that God gave us. Also, how the community is important because the way we live has consequences, not only for ourselves but those around us; and how important it is to deal with the root of all our issues, otherwise those life traps will continue being traps for the rest of our lives.
Nda: I never realized how I had subconsciously ascribed to believing that my spiritual health was solely dependent on how much time I spent on “spiritual things.”
Lerato: I realized I have a fixed brain in some areas and I want to grow in having a growth brain mindset in all areas of my life. I was also impacted by how my eating habits affect my spirituality. If I’m fatigued I’m less impactful. Some of my habits lead to fatigue. I was also encouraged by the Jankas; they are an example that despite your upbringing and dysfunction, you can live a holistic Christian life. Further, you can have a healthy marriage and relationship with God.
Barcelona: My older sister always talks to us about nutrition and how we, as parents, need to set an example for our children in our eating, but we never took her seriously. I learned how the body, mind and spirit need to work together, and the workshop made me question some of the choices I made.
Ida: The nutrition part was very enlightening, I also found my life trap and am encouraged that I can change. I saw it as a phase in life that I was going through and not something I need to work on.
At the end, everyone agreed that now it’s all about the harder part: putting the lessons into practice.
