Celebrating 35 Years
THE JUST WORLD
COMPLEX
An Answer to the
“Why me”
question!
A Clergy Care Note
from
New Day Inc.
814-949-9210
Rev. David C. Hammerle, M.A., M.Ed., DAPA
Labels are important to psychologists because it helps them to identify personality traits and social patterns. Years ago a psychologist came up with the term “Just World Complex” in order to label a philosophy of the time. It appears that people would like to believe that if one works hard, gets a good education, demonstrates loyalty, and lives a virtuous lifestyle of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, everything will go his/her way.
Our more modern society found its roots in a dog-eat-dog concept of do unto others before they do unto you. It is based on the belief that good guys finish last. Unfortunately, reality does give strong support to this latter concept. After one has worked hard to do his best at a job, displayed loyalty to the boss, and goes the extra mile to guarantee a job well done, the scheming coworker who managed to get by with the least amount of effort receives the promotion.
The fact is the world is not just. In many cases the good guy does finish last. However, before you give up on the just world philosophy, there are some principles that you need to consider. Allow me to accent the word “principle”. Principles stand the test of time and reach over the cultural barriers that divide societies. This is what makes the Bible so timely. While it was written over a period of thousands of years with the New Testament being completed in the first century of the church’s existence, it is more relevant than today’s newspaper. After all, the newspaper shares the ever-changing news but the Bible never changes—neither do the principles contained therein.
While hard work, loyal dedication, and the need to declare a job well done might not get you the promotion that you feel you deserve, it will shape character that lasts. The fact is that there are very few people who do not desire approval. However, if that approval is not forthcoming from others, we need to be able to give ourselves approval. When I know that the praise of others is not something that I have earned, I find it hard to give myself approval. The latter is the approval that I need the most. An inability to give myself approval will cause me to doubt myself. If I cannot believe in me, I will doubt that anyone else can believe in me. This is called low self-esteem and it carries a high price tag.
Some of the side effects of low self-esteem might include loneliness, stress, peer pressure, guilt, an inability to reach my potential, the threat of painful competition, depression, and even suicide.
It should also be noted that the scheming person who believes that it is more “who you know” than “what you know” that gets you the promotion is also shaping character. This kind of character caries labels like phony or fake. The painful truth is that he has fooled himself into thinking that he has fooled everyone else.
The Epistle of James describes what one would call a phony Christian. The phony described in this New Testament Epistle tries to blame God when he is tempted (James
Remember, we noted that this negative lifestyle shapes character. James describes this man’s character in chapter one and verse eight, “he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8 NKJV) This man cannot be trusted. Christianity is a matter of convenience for him. His choices will depend on which way the wind is blowing.
The contrasting picture of true Christian character can also be found in the Epistle of James. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27) The interesting feature of this double-mind kind of a lifestyle is that the person trying to live a double life is the one who is most deceived. (James 1:26)
How can we survive in this unjust world without making these compromises? The key word is focus. If we focus on the material gains in this ever changing world we will come up a loser every time. Consider Christ’s example. The Bible teaches that He was tempted in all points like we are but without committing sin (Hebrews
When struggling with the injustices in your life, you might consider focusing on a promise that God has made to you—“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Accepting this promise will allow you to focus on finding the good that God has planned to bring out of your situation. God does not plan the injustices in our life, but He does know about them and plans to turn your negatives into positives. This kind of a focus can help you keep your Godly character in tact.