Over my years as a biblical counselor and pastor, the book of Proverbs has been a go-to on many occasions. The pointed doses of wisdom speak to many of the dynamics and nuances that a strictly moral view misses. The perfect wisdom of God, as seen in the book of Proverbs, very much has in mind the immense complexities of life and of humanity.
One of the topics that Proverbs speaks to multiple times is the idea of the crushed spirit (Prov. 15:13; 17:22; 18:14). This phrase stands out for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones is because so often the people we counsel are experiencing what it means to be crushed in spirit. With practice and over time as counselors, we learn to identify and discern those who are crushed in spirit and even some of the reasons for their experience. Proverbs offers much more than a simple diagnostic to help discern the crushed in spirit. The book offers wisdom for helping a person see the different criteria and contributing factors that can lead to a crushed spirit. We will look at four of these dynamics in this blog.
Understanding the Human Spirit
The Hebrew word for “spirit” means wind, force, or energy. It refers to something being set in motion. The whole of the Old Testament uses this word to refer to I AM. Proverbs uses the word 21 times and in different ways. In Proverbs 18:14, we get a good glimpse at the meaning of “spirit.” The word describes a person’s emotional energy and passion for life—the thing that moves them to take on the things of life. “Spirit” in Proverbs articulates the psychological picture of the substance and mood of a person. The human spirit speaks to what goes on inside us in a deeply complex, nuanced, and multi-faceted way. This complexity greatly overpowers the culture’s attempts to explain such human spirit dynamics. Man’s wisdom (sociology, philosophy, psychology) on these complex matters is incredibly reductionistic, and struggles to see the varying facets and nuances of how God made the heart and spirit of people.
I was trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in graduate school before becoming a biblical counselor. I remember learning about the many different perspectives within the field of psychology and wondering which psychological theory was most accurate in teaching counselors to help counselees. When you place any of the psychological theories next to Proverbs’ depiction and description of the human heart and spirit, they all over-simplify the profound complexities of humans. Proverbs makes it clear that the heart is the control center of a person, and the spirit is the empowered expression of the heart.
So, the crushed spirit in Proverbs 18 refers to the spirit that is losing or has lost the passion, desire, and energy to press into and deal with life. The crushed spirit has become broken, in large part due to the never-ending pursuit of the “one thing” in life that can bring happiness and hope. This spirit is not planted in the fear of the Lord and therefore is always at the mercy of the circumstances of life.
Contributing Factors of a Crushed Spirit
1. Emotional Brokenness
Proverbs 14:30 says, “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” The use of “tranquil” speaks to a heart that is emotionally and physically calm. This is compared to “envy,” which is an intense feeling/emotion rooted in anger and bitterness. Both come from the heart and form the spirit of the person. Both have significant connections to the body, emotions, and inner spirit of what is driving them.
We see inner turbulence from a bitter mindset rooted in a self-centered heart. The intensity of the emotion is such that it literally decays the body and spirit of the person. This type of emotional volatility and brokenness leads to a crushed spirit that is led by emotions, as opposed to emotions informing and leading the person to the fear of the Lord, causing them to be regulated, refined, and redeemed, ultimately leading to life and wisdom.
2. Lack of Truth-Filled Relationships
Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” The “anxiety” referenced here speaks to an emotional response to a threat. The threat incites insecurity about the future, striking the very core of the person. The result is a weighing down that is crushing to the spirit.
The remedy for such soul heaviness is “a good word.” These are words of truth, love, life, and wisdom, which are impossible apart from the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of God. We see from this that God’s people are to be concerned and on the lookout for those who are anxiously weighed down. The ministry of a “good word” speaks truth in love to what is behind the anxiety. The truth-filled word speaks to the heart and spirit of the person.
A spirit that goes through life alone is at the mercy of their circumstances because when difficulties come, they are left to their own outlook, which is limited. Furthermore, God designed us for and calls us into godly community and relationships. Where words of truth in the context of community are missing, it creates fertile ground for a crushed spirit.
3. Guilty Conscience
Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no one pursue, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” The fleeing of the wicked refers to the paranoia that comes due to unresolved guilt in a person’s conscience. This is a near-constant sense that carries with it a feeling of something being wrong with the person.
These guilty feelings manifest in a variety of ways. They may feel guilty for all sorts of things that they shouldn’t feel any guilt for. Another manifestation might be seen in how they perceive a critique. Even a small criticism causes them to feel assaulted and attacked when, in actuality, they are not. Another might be how they view small failures as if they are total failures in not just a few but most areas of their life. All these examples speak to unresolved guilt from a guilty conscience.
This Proverb shows that the wicked lack fear of the Lord but live in somewhat pervasive fear of others. Their unresolved guilt erodes their spirit in such a way that leads them to avoid and flee the life-giving grace and mercy of the Lord. Rather than being empowered in their spirit by the forgiving grace and mercy of God through Christ, they are isolated and enslaved by the crushing weight of dealing with their guilt on their own.
4. Misplaced Hope
Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” The heart seeks out and is set toward things that bring significance, love, security, comfort, etc. A desire or pursuit deferred, delayed, or altogether unattainable makes the heart and spirit of a person spiritually sick. This misplaced hope produces an anemic faith that leads to a crushed spirit. This spiritual sickness ends up affecting the entire being (body, mind, and soul) of a person.
This Proverb doesn’t just give insight but speaks to the only true cure for the crushed spirit. “Desire fulfilled is the tree of life” becomes the redemptive focal point for healing of the crushed and broken spirit. The “tree of life” represents the fulfillment of desire which has both physical and spiritual implications. The phrase “tree of life” is found in Genesis 2 & 3 as well as Revelation 2 & 22. Proverbs is the only other book in the Bible where it is referenced.
Hope for the Crushed Spirit
Proverbs is a book about finding wisdom, and Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:18-31). The wisdom of God is most clearly seen and empowered in our lives through the power of the cross. On multiple occasions in the New Testament, it says that Jesus died on a tree. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds we are healed.” Jesus willingly climbed the tree of death so that we could have the tree of life. This is the gospel that is the ultimate loving, cleansing, good word of hope our spirit needs.
Questions for Reflection
- What truth(s) of the gospel can be spoken to the emotionally turbulent spirit (see Prov. 14:30)?
- What truth(s) of the gospel speak against guilt and condemnation (see Prov. 28:1)?
- The gospel is the tree of life which is our ultimate hope. What desires of the heart (significance, security, comfort, etc.) have sometimes been a source of hope and pursuit more than gospel identity?
