NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

June 13

Scripture focus: I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.  But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.  It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.  I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?  The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. Romans 7:14-25 The Message

Balance and equilibrium are crucial for healthy brain functioning. This depends upon the delicate dance that takes place among chemicals, cells and systems of cells. Nerve cells are never isolated, their interconnections are legendary. One cell shifts and its whole entire local group shifts too. These changes affect the larger systems of the brain, and the brain then impacts the body. When balance is disturbed, the outcome is stress.

After Michael launches into his proposal for a summer of concerts, my brain is immediately stressed. Three basic things are about to happen in an attempt to maintain and regain balance: feedback, habituation, and adaptation. Feedback is the first response against stress. There are three kinds of feedback: excited cells are told to calm down, under-reactive cells are told to get moving, and healthy happy cells may be encouraged to continue their balanced ways. Suppose I take my very excited cell into Pete’s (my husband and the alleged co-conspirator in this summer of madness plan) office, calmly close the door and hiss into his ear, “Are you crazy? Did you tell Michael it was ok for him to rent a string of RV’s and bring all his buddies and their girlfriends on a summer expedition to Phish concerts?”

Pete might respond by providing feedback in one of three ways:

1. “Calm down! I did no such thing!”

2. “I’m not crazy, you’re the crazy one! I didn’t put him up to this! Where did you get your information? Boy am I mad at you! You never get the story straight!”

3. “Whoa! Honey, I’d love to stop working and spend hours chatting with you about this. How about if we go out and grab a cup of really expensive coffee and talk this through?”

The most effective action usually involves some form of calming (1 or 3) when a cell (me) gets all charged up. If ineffective communication happens, it increases the stress. Sin’s prison (addiction) totally messes up this system. When that happens, the brain is forced to try habituation as a coping strategy.

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