In the electronic world a default setting might be referred to as a “return-to mode”. In human behavioral settings we call it a predictable reaction.
Our brain, and in fact, our human makeup, are comprised of a hard drive and software. In the makeup of diesel engines that are electronically controlled, it is often quite possible to create combinations in the combustion cycle that generate far more power than the physical parts are designed to take. When this power is used discretionally, it is amazing what level of surge even a small component can support. In the electrical world this is sometimes referred to as “surge capacity”. This, in over-simplistic terms, might refer to how much power a given component can take for a short time, before it melts down.
In human terms we speak of a child who is considerably overwhelmed as having a meltdown. Adults too have points of meltdown. This is a state to avoid, which is possible using default settings.
In my time in alcohol rehab, we were taught about our coping mechanism. Learning to cope is not a setting that we are born with. As we learn to identify triggers that fire up our overload switch, we do well to discover more about our own settings. The purpose of this writing is not to give you a cram course on psychology. In fact, the intent is to take a concept that can be overcomplicated, and bring it down to an easy-to-use formula.
A person is very complex, and yet so simple. If the would-be assassin’s bullet merely grazes the incumbent’s ear, we still have a man running for election. If the sniper had aimed an inch to the left, there would be a need to find a new man. That simple. Had this been the case, the news would be creating tsunamis. But, subsequently, in a few short months the water would be calm again, and the depth of the ocean would not have changed. That’s how unimportant important really is.
For us to achieve a healthy mental and emotional setting we must begin with grasping the reality that “very important” is sometimes, actually, very important; and, at other times, it’s really not so important at all.
John 4:24 – God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
James 1:27 – Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
So, hopefully, I’m not over-simplifying. When we have experienced the new birth, and, in accepting Christ into our hearts, the consequence is an introduction to Spiritual living. We are to worship God, “…in spirit and in truth.” Then come the default settings. This is the Religion part. A diesel engine without the ECM (electronic control module) would not function. If we didn’t have the default settings (the Bible) a Christian would not function efficiently. We are born a physical body, which is like the nuts n bolts and cast iron that makes the engine. When we give our hearts to God, we receive our ECM. Our control module. We are now ready to go to work, to “practise religion”, and follow God. As we follow the Spirit that connects us to God, we will find ourselves at Jesus’ feet. asking him to adjust our ECM’s default setting.
Sometimes when we come to Jesus asking him to take away some of the things we have learned to dislike or possibly abhor in ourselves, he will change a setting or two. Other times he asks us to do our work even while we are fully aware of our weakness.
Sometimes our engine of life is over-fueled. It smokes terribly. And burns fuel inefficiently. We come to Jesus asking him to change those settings in our ECM. All Jesus tells us is to lighten our foot on the throttle. Many, many people go through life with a need for better settings in the ECM. However, it seems that Jesus, the master tuner, chooses for these people to function with these handicaps. So, I have attempted to draw a picture.
God the Father. Jesus the Son. The Holy Spirit. These are the all in all. The Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end.
Us. We. Mankind. In the image of God. We have an intellect, by God’s design. When we come to grips with an awareness of our Sinful nature and our inability to function, we have reached a crossroad. We then, upon surrender of our whole will, by the mercy of Christ Jesus on the Cross, are able to yield our will over to God. We now become joint heirs to the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit comes in and “guides us into all truth” John 16:13
….to be continued…
