The Tip of the Iceberg

7/24/2024

Written By: Margie Davis

Did you know that what we see of an iceberg is only 10% of its whole structure? A full 90% of an iceberg is below the surface of the water. That’s where the expression “tip of the iceberg” comes from! The Titanic wasn’t sunk by a little piece of ice floating on top of the water. The WHOLE iceberg was what sunk that massive ship.

In the same way, the way we view most people is also very likely just a small portion of who they really are!

The term “Holistic” is a term we are hearing more of in today’s culture. I like this term and when looking for a new primary care physician recently, it was important to me that my new doctor was willing to approach my care holistically and treat all of me and not be so quick to just write a prescription and dismiss my concerns.

What exactly is a holistic approach? Holistic thinking deals with “wholes” rather than with “parts,” and there are 5 aspects of seeing and helping people holistically:

Physical
Social
Emotional
Intellectual
Spiritual

If we want to understand what is truly happening in someone’s life, we should be willing to approach them as a whole person and not just react to the parts we see. We must be willing to DIVE!

Think of that person who dominates most conversations. They are very social and seem to be able to talk to anyone at any time! But wait. You’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg! Take a deep breath and dive beneath the surface. Maybe you’ll find that something tragic happened to them as a child which rocked their world and becoming the talker instead of the listener is how they subconsciously reach for control and find the voice they didn’t have when they were so young. Their emotional layer is way deeper than you know.

How about the girl who went to a liberal college and sees the world through the eyes of science and many Gods? How in the world will you ever reach her for Christ? There are layers of both the spiritual and the intellectual to dive through but what you may find is that her largest layer is actually the social one. Her desire to be accepted by her peers in college drove her to accept THEIR worldview. It may take some work to reach her but showing her that she is accepted by you may be the way you show her that she is accepted by the Savior who loves her!

Even that guy who seems ultra confident. He runs marathons, eats healthy and excels at every physical thing he attempts! What you don’t know is that he has a layer of anxiety on top of a layer of self-doubt with another layer of suicidal thoughts. Just below the surface, the waters always feel like they’re churning. We think his physical layer is the biggest part of him, when in reality the emotional layer is slowly overtaking him.

God is aware of ALL our layers. He alone sees all of us. In our Christian Walk we sometimes question why things happen. Why does God allow a woman who so desperately wants a child to remain barren while roughly 50% of the population are screaming for the legal right to terminate the life of their unborn baby as many times as they CHOOSE? How can a young man go to a roof top and try to shoot a former president while the nation watches on TV? Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” Oh, Sovereign God, we believe you are keeping watch and we trust you to see beneath the surface that which we can’t! I believe that He absolutely IS doing as great a work with the 90% that is hidden from us as He is with the 10% that we see.

Hebrews 4:13 says “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.” Those things we can’t see with our eyes is where our deepest faith is developed! You can be confident that even when you can’t see the plan, He DOES!

Are you willing to be a deep diver like Jesus for the sake of more intimate relationships? Ask God to help you see the “whole” and not just the “parts” of those people He has placed in your life. Spend time, listen, and respond with compassion. Be willing to let others see your layers as well and maybe together we will find the very best treasures down below the surface!