Each day I play basketball. I'm not at my peak yet, haven't been in any recent drafts and far from pro. My game is different, simple. Get the paper balls or any other objects being discarded straight into the wastebasket from my desk. I'll accept layups, dunks, and bounces off any walls or furniture.
It's kind of farcical, but my emotions here work similar to any achievement or reward system. If the object goes in, I do the yes gesture with my arm. If it doesn't go in, I frown and bow my head in dismay.
How did I learn these emotions of success and displeasure with my own actions?
The Brain Reward System is a specific limbic circuit that generates the feelings of pleasure. This system originates in a group of neurons that are in the midbrain (called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA).
Wow!!! What an exceptional system
Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Self-praise is taught in many therapeutic settings. Recovery centres, therapist offices, and your psychiatrist's couch. You may be reminded of these techniques during coffee time with sponsors or check ins with counsellors. They strew google with self-help programs and love yourself remedies.I like attention and work hard to earn it yet self praise seemed hard for me. Why is that?
Proverbs 27:2 ESV Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Romans 1:25
They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
In these times I would venture to say we are often alone. Alone with vast time and opportunity to pay more attention to ourselves than others. What do we see as the results?
Statistically, depression and anxiety have risen to peak levels. Discord in families and domestic assault rear their heads. Those alone struggle with unmet or unresolved emotional disorder. Loneliness, boredom or questions of who they are float around people's minds. The void of daily accomplishments may seem unrealistically sad, while peer acceptance is missing.
I marvel at some Bible stories of people spending time alone without going mad.
Adam
Before we even get three chapters into the Bible, the concept of isolation rears its head when Adam notices that he’s the only being who doesn’t have a partner. So God—graciously unoffended that His company isn’t enough for Adam—creates a helper for him: Eve. Sure, Adam probably only spent a day or two alone, but when you live in a perfect world and have never experienced pain, that’s gotta be significant.
I wouldn't want to share that experience.
Moses
Throughout his life, Moses spent a lot of time in social isolation. Some of his early days were spent in a reed basket on the Nile, he fled from Pharaoh to become a reclusive shepherd, and he spent 40 days on the mountain with God (while the small-brained Israelites made a golden calf).To everyone’s benefit though, these isolated experiences gave Moses time to write the Torah and the opportunity to see God’s back!
What positive growth can we focus on during our isolation?
Paul
This great evangelist probably spent more time in prison than any other Bible character. Although we don’t know how many times or years he spent in prison, in just one instance he spent two years under house arrest by Rome. If COVID-19 social isolation restrictions were to last two years, would you cope? Me neither. Paul, you legend!
It's time for proper positive self-talk, which found its origin in scripture. It's called prayer and meditation.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Psalm 119:15-16
I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways.I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Some may call it mindfulness, mantra or whatever they cling to. Regardless of the title it only works when it is God centered. Comfortable happiness with yourself as God's creation becomes self praise. This will bless your reward system and streamline your thoughts to daily goodness.
Below is an example of some trigger emotions used by 12 step patriots. Let's look at how the bible addresses these unwelcomed feelings, keeping them from going awry.
Hungry: John 6:35 ESV Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Angry: Psalms 37:8 (NKJV) Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret-it only causes harm.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NKJV) Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Lonely:Psalm 16:11
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also is Christ.”
Tired:Psalm 127:2 ESV / 1,593 helpful votes
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep
These are just a few I've relied on. Over years of therapy and seeking peace I've encountered many treatment philosophies including a variety of self help oriented models. I can only say that it was self thinking that got me into those rooms in the first place. Self love certainly didn't get me out. Try loving God and others first. In shifting that focus away, from self leaves no actual necessity for tarrying on negative inner thoughts.
The idea that I can read, wright and imagine while playing trash can basketball at the same time, may be a small sign of how well engineered our minds are. My mind can calculate the distance, weight of an object and level of force required to reach a visually identified target. My thoughts have a purpose and a powerful communication to my lobbing right arm. When the paper ball sinks, my reward system tingles, Simple.
I thank God that we are fearfully and wonderfully made,
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