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There’s a word for that Jesus-confusion you’re feeling that's keeping you stuck: it’s called spiritual bypassing. It's pretty rare to see or hear about spiritual bypassing in Catholic clerical or professional circles. It’s often completely unheard of and/or misunderstood by those of us with faith who are trying to heal, and this is part of why we get stuck and confused in trying to make sense of what is love and what is not, when to erect a boundary and when to just "offer it up."

It's also sometimes called over-spiritualizing. Spiritual bypassing is a very real issue that prevents change when we refuse to work through natural causes that we can actually do something about.

“Offer it up!” can be a major spiritual bypass: used this way, it dismisses your own and others feelings and experiences. The whole idea of redemptive suffering can be, and is often, twisted to mean God wants you to suffer because it’s good for you! or the Kingdom, or someone else. 

So what is spiritual bypassing, why does it happen, and how we can navigate it using insights from Scripture, Psychology, and Catholic teaching?

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LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.  

L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)

O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

What are you not facing? Where is the area of your life that you have begged God to fix without also looking for what He might want you to do or stop doing? How is this spiritual bypassing? What does He want you to do next?

V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.)

Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear Your word, and be healed. Amen +

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What We Discussed | Show Notes

Overview:

Minutes 00:00-12:00 – new series; what is spiritual bypassing? 

Minutes 12:01-24:00 – why do we spiritually bypass 

Minutes 24:01-36:00 – consequences of spiritual bypassing 

Minutes 36:01-48:00 – examples of spiritual bypassing; steps to detect and avoid spiritual bypassing 

Transcript

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