The Synergy of Behavior Science and Scripture
"Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things back together to see what they mean. Science teaches us where we come from. Religion explains to us why we are here. Science is the search for explanation. Religion is the search for meaning. We need scientific explanation to understand nature. We need meaning to understand human behavior. We need God to know the answers to both."(Jonathan Sacks, The Great Partnership).
Perhaps, man's search for God is the search for genuine meaning in life. The Bible says we are designed in God's image. Our purpose is to find that image. Self actualization, discovering ourselves, doing our best, understanding our values and purpose in life gives us meaning in life. God created us to seek Him, to find our meaning and our purpose in life. God sent his son, Jesus Christ as a paragon for human behavior. God's purpose and will for mankind is to be Christ like in character but not in being! When our identity is in Christ, we are empowered spirits, able to handle any circumstances in life.
Most addiction experts perceive that that Science and God are mutually exclusive; that Science and Scripture are antithetical; that faith and reason are not compatible; these are misconceptions. John Lennox, Oxford Mathematician, reminds us, if science and God do not mix, there would be no Christian Nobel Prize winners. Between 1901 and 2000 over 60% of Nobel Laureates were Christians. Galileo, Kepler, Pascal, Boyle, Newton, Faraday and Clerk- Maxwell—were all firm and convinced believers in God.
With respect to Behavior Science and Scripture, both recognize that values and purpose are the main navigational tools in life. Both emphasize personal values and how to manage those values; they acknowledge, motivation, life skills, community and relationships are human ingredients, necessary to behavioral change. Together they want us to manage our emotions, examine our thinking and change our corrupt behavior; to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Most, if not all addiction experts would agree that the main navigational tools in life are values and purpose. Values and purpose in life, give meaning to life. People overcome hurts, hangups and habits, out of purpose-based motivation (based on values) -- they better themselves when they recognize how their habits, violate who they were, what they want to be, where they want to go in life. People change when they hurt enough and have to or when they learn enough and want to. When you value a surrendered personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will have purpose, you will be a new creation. "Grow close to God and God will grow close to you." James 4:8. This is more than mere scripture but a tenet of neuroscience with respect to learning, because where attention goes, neuro-firing flows and neuro-connection grows. "Neurons that fire together, wire together." This is Heb's rule, the neoplastic process by which which we grow, change, and rewire our brains.
Emotions are the primary drivers of human behavior. All addictions serve an emotional purpose. Reasons for compulsive substance abuse or any hurt, hangup or habit, are driven by emotional factors, usually feelings of helplessness about whatever in life makes one feel overwhelmingly trapped, powerless and out of control. It’s the rage at feeling helplessness that drives the addictive behavior, the need for the quick fix or mood changer of drugs or other behaviors.
Lance Dodes MD, addiction Psychiatrist states that, "All addictions are caused/driven by one underlying emotion: intolerable, overwhelming, helplessness." (When one feels helpless, they feel trapped, powerless and out of control). People attempt to reverse feelings of helplessness and regain control of their feelings or emotions, with either direct healthy behaviors, or corrupt displaced behaviors. For example, you just learned that you lost your job. If this is important to you and you feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of this circumstance, do you get drunk or work on your resume? When people act compulsively, with repeat displaced behaviors, this is called an addiction.
Addictions are not just substance abuses (drugs, alcohol), but can be other myriad behaviors such as (gambling, porn, anger, controlling others, etc.). In fact, Dr. Jud Brewer, Psychiatrist, defines a simple definition of addiction as, continued use (of a substance or behavior), despite adverse consequences. With this definition, we are all addicts to some extent, with our compulsions with tech, Facebook, Twitter, television, exercise, over eating, you name it!
In humans, the common denominator behind any compulsive behavior is the desire for a, “quick fix or mood changer,” for how we feel, the need to feel better, escape the trap of helplessness. Addictive behavior is never random, addictive behavior is learned, there is always a reason and a reward. Whatever is rewarded is likely to be repeated. You simply can’t get addicted to a substance or behavior that doesn’t do something for you! There is always a reward.
The purpose of any addiction is to regain control over intolerably helpless-trapped-powerless feelings, an emotional state of fear. This helplessness is always rooted in something deeply important to the individual.
We always have a binary choice. We can regain control of helpless feelings with displaced substitute behaviors (quick fixes or mood changers of drugs or other behaviors), or direct healthy behaviors that empower us. What humans really seek is a sense of control. What we really seek is not a drink, a drug, porn or a bet, but a sense of empowerment, in the face of feeling helpless.
The best antidote for any hurt, hangup or habit: Is when we choose a high value (Dopaminergic), personal relationship with Jesus Christ, when we replace the rewards of displaced behaviors (addictions) with the rewards of direct Christ Driven Behavior (CDB). Christ Driven Behavior (CDB), is a direct empowering behavior that honors God; a direct way to regain control over helpless, trapped, powerless feelings! When we delegate control to God, He empowers us with a seminal mentor that imparts motivation, conviction, purpose and the fruits of the Holy Spirit called values. Self-control is one of those fruits or values! When we act with direct healthy behavior and not with displaced-substitute behaviors, we exercise self-control. When we empower ourselves with direct healthy behavior, Christ Driven Behavior, that honors God, there is no displaced behavior, there is no addiction. There is a, “New Creation.”
When our values and purpose are Christ Driven Behaviors (CDB) that honors God, there is no addiction.
Change your thinking and change your life. (Don’t conform, transform!)
Our thinking determines our feelings and our feelings determine our actions.
James 4:8: Grow close to God and He will grow close to you. Growing close to God has a neurological foundation. Brain cells (Neurons) that fire together, wire together. Where your attention goes, neuro-firing flows and neuro-connection grows.
When your values trump your addiction, there is no addiction.
Spread the empirical evidence of direct- empowering Christ Driven Behavior (CDB), while discouraging the dissemination of myth, hysteria and hype.
Perhaps, man's search for God is the search for genuine meaning in life. The Bible says we are designed in God's image. Our purpose is to find that image. Self actualization, discovering ourselves, doing our best, understanding our values and purpose in life gives us meaning in life. God created us to seek Him, to find our meaning and our purpose in life. God sent his son, Jesus Christ as a paragon for human behavior. God's purpose and will for mankind is to be Christ like in character but not in being! When our identity is in Christ, we are empowered spirits, able to handle any circumstances in life.
Most addiction experts perceive that that Science and God are mutually exclusive; that Science and Scripture are antithetical; that faith and reason are not compatible; these are misconceptions. John Lennox, Oxford Mathematician, reminds us, if science and God do not mix, there would be no Christian Nobel Prize winners. Between 1901 and 2000 over 60% of Nobel Laureates were Christians. Galileo, Kepler, Pascal, Boyle, Newton, Faraday and Clerk- Maxwell—were all firm and convinced believers in God.
With respect to Behavior Science and Scripture, both recognize that values and purpose are the main navigational tools in life. Both emphasize personal values and how to manage those values; they acknowledge, motivation, life skills, community and relationships are human ingredients, necessary to behavioral change. Together they want us to manage our emotions, examine our thinking and change our corrupt behavior; to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Most, if not all addiction experts would agree that the main navigational tools in life are values and purpose. Values and purpose in life, give meaning to life. People overcome hurts, hangups and habits, out of purpose-based motivation (based on values) -- they better themselves when they recognize how their habits, violate who they were, what they want to be, where they want to go in life. People change when they hurt enough and have to or when they learn enough and want to. When you value a surrendered personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will have purpose, you will be a new creation. "Grow close to God and God will grow close to you." James 4:8. This is more than mere scripture but a tenet of neuroscience with respect to learning, because where attention goes, neuro-firing flows and neuro-connection grows. "Neurons that fire together, wire together." This is Heb's rule, the neoplastic process by which which we grow, change, and rewire our brains.
Emotions are the primary drivers of human behavior. All addictions serve an emotional purpose. Reasons for compulsive substance abuse or any hurt, hangup or habit, are driven by emotional factors, usually feelings of helplessness about whatever in life makes one feel overwhelmingly trapped, powerless and out of control. It’s the rage at feeling helplessness that drives the addictive behavior, the need for the quick fix or mood changer of drugs or other behaviors.
Lance Dodes MD, addiction Psychiatrist states that, "All addictions are caused/driven by one underlying emotion: intolerable, overwhelming, helplessness." (When one feels helpless, they feel trapped, powerless and out of control). People attempt to reverse feelings of helplessness and regain control of their feelings or emotions, with either direct healthy behaviors, or corrupt displaced behaviors. For example, you just learned that you lost your job. If this is important to you and you feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of this circumstance, do you get drunk or work on your resume? When people act compulsively, with repeat displaced behaviors, this is called an addiction.
Addictions are not just substance abuses (drugs, alcohol), but can be other myriad behaviors such as (gambling, porn, anger, controlling others, etc.). In fact, Dr. Jud Brewer, Psychiatrist, defines a simple definition of addiction as, continued use (of a substance or behavior), despite adverse consequences. With this definition, we are all addicts to some extent, with our compulsions with tech, Facebook, Twitter, television, exercise, over eating, you name it!
In humans, the common denominator behind any compulsive behavior is the desire for a, “quick fix or mood changer,” for how we feel, the need to feel better, escape the trap of helplessness. Addictive behavior is never random, addictive behavior is learned, there is always a reason and a reward. Whatever is rewarded is likely to be repeated. You simply can’t get addicted to a substance or behavior that doesn’t do something for you! There is always a reward.
The purpose of any addiction is to regain control over intolerably helpless-trapped-powerless feelings, an emotional state of fear. This helplessness is always rooted in something deeply important to the individual.
We always have a binary choice. We can regain control of helpless feelings with displaced substitute behaviors (quick fixes or mood changers of drugs or other behaviors), or direct healthy behaviors that empower us. What humans really seek is a sense of control. What we really seek is not a drink, a drug, porn or a bet, but a sense of empowerment, in the face of feeling helpless.
The best antidote for any hurt, hangup or habit: Is when we choose a high value (Dopaminergic), personal relationship with Jesus Christ, when we replace the rewards of displaced behaviors (addictions) with the rewards of direct Christ Driven Behavior (CDB). Christ Driven Behavior (CDB), is a direct empowering behavior that honors God; a direct way to regain control over helpless, trapped, powerless feelings! When we delegate control to God, He empowers us with a seminal mentor that imparts motivation, conviction, purpose and the fruits of the Holy Spirit called values. Self-control is one of those fruits or values! When we act with direct healthy behavior and not with displaced-substitute behaviors, we exercise self-control. When we empower ourselves with direct healthy behavior, Christ Driven Behavior, that honors God, there is no displaced behavior, there is no addiction. There is a, “New Creation.”
When our values and purpose are Christ Driven Behaviors (CDB) that honors God, there is no addiction.
Change your thinking and change your life. (Don’t conform, transform!)
Our thinking determines our feelings and our feelings determine our actions.
James 4:8: Grow close to God and He will grow close to you. Growing close to God has a neurological foundation. Brain cells (Neurons) that fire together, wire together. Where your attention goes, neuro-firing flows and neuro-connection grows.
When your values trump your addiction, there is no addiction.
Spread the empirical evidence of direct- empowering Christ Driven Behavior (CDB), while discouraging the dissemination of myth, hysteria and hype.