Stressors

We all know what "stress" is; don't we?

Human beings are a system. Within the system we have numerous sub-systems. They are all controlled by the brain. Some systems require thinking to make them actuate. For instance to make the skeleton system do things, most often that system requires a command: "I say walk!" and it will carry you forward or backward. However, it can't do that without help. When you say "walk" the skeleton can carry you, but it needs aid!

Without the muscular system, the skeletal system is helpless, but it takes more than muscles. Muscles are of no use without the aid of the skeletal system. Where is this all leading? All of the eight or more systems of the body are required, but without each other to assist, the individual would be greatly impeded. When any of those systems fail to do what they're supposed to do, a person is said to be handicapped.

Point 1: There is much going on within the system we call our "body". In fact we are a "body of operating cooperating systems".

There is one system which makes it all operate and cooperate. That's the nervous system. It's the processor (the brain) and the LAN (the spinal cord and the nerves). The nerve endings carry things outside the system and says "Hey, body. Something wants in!" The information is transmitted to the brain where it must decide. Some decisions are conscious. That's thinking and is called "cognition". Other decisions are automatic. The brain has learned to do things without conscious decision-making. That comes with gestational development and with creation.

Point 2: Cognition can be conscious or beneath awareness, called "within the sub-conscious".

It's nice that we don't always have to think:"Fingers, scratch my nose!" From the experiments within the womb, the unborn child "learned" that.

Point 3: External inputs have taught our bodies to do things without thinking.

However, the cooperation between systems is innate. The brain signals the diaphragm (muscular system) to move and it's the motor which drives the pump, the lungs. When the oxygen is distributed to the bloodstream the respiratory system and the circulatory system cooperate, already cooperating with the muscular and nervous system. We were created with these sub-systems and most people are born with systems which cooperate on their own. God designed this powerhouse to be most efficient. It was not chance nor accident that these systems are so perfect

Point 4: The brain controls the flesh without the system having to think about it.

Most psychologists would tell you that personality is a sub-system of the body. It's our unique personhood.  The external signals are carried from the world to the brain. There the information is processed and the end result of the decision-making is the personality. Other sub-systems influence the personality. They all cooperate although some seem to be uncooperative!

Some inputs create joy, happiness and amelioration. The body likes those and the nervous system tells the arms to raise in joy and the mouth to move from neutral to smile. We are happy with the external events which help to make us what we are.

Other external events are undesirable. They cause one or more of the other system to function, but to do so in a malicious way. For instance, the digestive track always cooperates. It has good enzymes and bad acids. When external inputs go well, the digestive track does its job sub-consciously. The body is not even aware it's working except for the occasional gas pain and maybe an awareness of normal peristalsis. The systems work together to do the job they were designed to do!

On the other hand, some external forces outside the system irritate the system. It's good that we recognize danger for our own safety. To effect that, the nervous system, without us thinking, tells the digestive system, "I need a shot of acid to warn my other systems of danger!" The digestive juices then do their job and the entire system is saved!

Point 5: External events and how we handle them create our personality. (We eventually become what we allow into our system).

The impulses from outside to the body system and how the person handles the external input is called "the flesh". The flesh is what the system does with external signals. Those systems all combined, external to the body system, is called "the world". The world was created by God, but distorted by Satan. God guides us to do well with what he created and Satan tells us to do evil with it.

Satan sends invisible and scientifically non-detectable signals to the body's system to short circuit it. Those impulses are called "temptation".

Point 6: Satan's role is to disrupt the body's system.

The reason Satan wants to disrupt is to separate man from God. There is another system which science refuses to accept. We have a sub-system called "the soul".  Those invisible forces, both good and evil, attempt to enter our system through the flesh and imbue the container called the soul.

Point 7: Another system exists called the spirit.

The spirit takes influences from the world and presents them to the flesh. If the flesh has a pleasing experience with what enters the system, it's called pleasure. If it imbues disruptive signals, it's called dissatisfaction. Extreme dissatisfaction results in pain!

Like other external inputs what comes from the world must be interpreted by the nervous system.  The other systems cooperate to decide, "Is this pleasurable or is it harmful?" Acid may drip into the stomach and the digestive track cooperates in the decision-making. This is normal and is for our protection!

An input, not of the world, but from the Spirit of God is "guilt". It's an external signal which has the purpose of protecting the body system. Guilt can be a good thing, or a bad, depending on where it originates.

Psychology sees guilt as morality and is something which the person needs freedom. Their recommendation is that when behaviors; such as fornication, homosexuality, greed, anger and such; makes the person feel guilty, that their counsel is to work on the negative feeling causing the guilt. Go ahead and do whatever it is you do, but don't feel guilty about it. Guilt does cause anxiety if something doesn't change, and they find it easier to change the guilt than the behavior!

Point 8: The Holy Ghost's purpose is to provide "comfort".

I use the term "Ghost" rather than spirit for two reasons: 1. The Spirit is the presence of God the Father, whereas the Holy Ghost is the "Ghost" of Jesus. It's his presence which he left behind to minister to mankind in his physical absence. The Holy Spirit was imbued within Jesus at the crucifixion and experienced death with Jesus. He didn't die, but he was there. He felt emotional pain. It's imperative to understand that the Holy Ghost is Emmanuel, God with us, and is the very Spirit who is the remnant of Jesus Christ on earth.

When the Holy Ghost Comforts us, he is of two distinct aspects. He's the Spirit which imbues our soul and fills the temple within. There is one Spirit, don't get me wrong, but there is part of that Spirit who lives within and another part who is external. For them to be in unity, the external part of the Spirit acts on the body's system, the soul being part of that system. We were created in "their" image; meaning Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As such we have a mind much like God's, a body much like Jesus' and a Spirit which flows from God. He's not a liquid flowing, but a personal presence who communes with Christians.

Therefore the Communion which we have for God is external to our system, but is in unity with the Spirit which dwells within. Somehow we do the will of God by the influence of the Holy Ghost (Ghost of Jesus) who communes with the Spirit of God within. This communion crosses the body's system boundary and causes change within our system. We have a desire to do good, because we are one in Spirit with God.

Something changes inside the system. It gets cleaned up. What was dirty inside (evil and unclean) is expelled from the system and more spirit imbues. It's proportional. My thoughts is it's like "God's Conservation of Spirit Law". It must balance! We are all evil unless the blood cleanses us for the entry of the Spirit, and the spirit makes the system new, cleansing it within. God's temple, the soul, is washed inside. However, the part we're born with is still there. That's why we still sin. That last bit of impurity will become pure when we're glorified. Then we will truly be like Jesus. Until then we keep that Spirit "flowing" by loving God and others!

Point 9: External forces will continue to cross into the body's system boundary until we're glorified by dying in the Spirit!

Now for the bad news.  Christians, even when imbued with the Holy Spirit have external influences. These are stressors. Stressors are the external things which attack the body's system boundaries to undermine God and frustrate you. Satan gives false guilt and even tells you to reject God-given guilt. To do that he gives you pleasure. The mind accepts by freewill (our thought processes) which we inherit and can either allow in or reject pleasure. Unless we are discerning and responsive to the Spirit, weak people allow pleasure to come into the system.

It's easy for pleasure to come in because the mind has memories of what feels good. The body likes for it's system to be elevated to heights of importance and fed the best of the best. All bodies want pleasure, but those imbued with the Holy Spirit recognizes pleasures for what they are: temporal. The God-tempered mind weighs the temporary pleasures which are promised with eternal safety, and refuses to allow pleasure to cross the system boundary.

Point 10:  The full armor of God blocks unneeded pleasure from entering the body's system.

Others allow pleasure to come from the world to the flesh and cross that system boundary. For those who don't care, the fight is short. The system allows things, even which it knows will destroy, to cross that boundary. Guilt isn't there to filter out the bad things disguised as pleasure. The system only remembers the "high" it has had before and allows about anything to come in.

Suddenly, it's too late. Pleasures become stressors when the body system starts to fail. Pleasure ceases to be pleasurable and the body starts to die. Too much pleasure is poisonous and relationships tarnish as the system boundaries inflate to the point where nothing matters, but the system. You are now fully your own idol and everything is about you! What once seemed to provide pleasure are now stressors. If it's drugs, people reject you. You feel unwanted. Sex gives you disease and loss of respect for others and you. Anything which is ungodly becomes a stressor because they are sins which are diseases of the system.  Satan murders you by providing whatever stressor your system loves to allow entry!

Point 10: Pleasure can make you ill to the extent that you spiritually die.

You may still walk, talk, eat and breath, but you're dead inside. Some people destroy the remnants of what's left by suicide. They can't take any more things which cause pain to cross into the system boundary,  so they stop the dynamics which have caused the pain. Suicide is a tool for keeping your own idol from hurt. Since no one hates their own self, suicide is a mechanism to keep stressors out of the system. A better way would be God's whole armor, but Satan deceives.

Point 11: Even Christians have stress.

Because we belong to God as new persons, Satan doesn't give up, He multiplies his attacks. He provides more stressors to destroy us. He tempts us more. With God's whole armor, he loses. If we aren't praying and reading scripture that armor (which proetects the system) is pierced and evil enters in.  The Holy Spirit rushes forth and provides guilt. We have to make a choice: Can we ignore this discomfort and allow pleasure in or do we reject what Satan offers. Those who battle and loses feel guilt. It's from God, but it's a check to allow only right things in. Guilt keeps stressors at bay if we feel them inside the system, hate the stress which guilt creates, and rejects the stressors which seek to enter the body's system boundaries.

Point 12: Even guilt from God can be a stressor unless there is obedience.

If the checks and balances of "God's Conservation of Spirit Law" is allowed to work, stress is short-lived, turned on itself,  and prevented from attacking the system. We don't have to be stressed. That's a choice.

Point 13: Only fools would accept stress over joy and happiness.

When we're in God's will, stress is reduced and if we're faithful, it's almost non-existent. When we call on the Holy Spirit to Comfort us, and he will, he takes those "darts" called stressors for us. God's whole armor can't be penetrated and we live less stressful lives. It's those lives which are happy and at peace; even joyful! That's the Comfort we receive from God because Jesus wants us to be free of the bondage of the world which shoots stressors into the flesh!

Point 14: You too can be joyful. It's keeping the system from the darts which kill the spirit.