When we are born our brain thrives on joy and peace that come through healthy connections with those we love and hopefully that leads us to a trusting relationship with God. We never change. What we need as a baby we still need as an adult.
One of the ways we feed our brain joy and peace is through gratitude. Let me explain the science and then the theology.
Gratitude releases Dopamine and Serotonin in the brain. Dopamine is the energy, feel good we thrive on.
Serotonin is the “peaceful easy feeling” chemical, the Eagles sang about. Remember, the brain regulates from joy to peace.
Joy is high energy, and peace is low energy.
Living in this is the place between joy and peace is where we are happy, content, fulfilled.
If we don’t get these chemical releases from gratitude or close relationships with God and people we love and love us, we try other sources.
The brain can get Dopamine from drugs, sex, pornography, gambling, video games, hobbies, shopping, movies, hours of mindless YouTube videos.
We use drugs like Amphetamines to replace the happy feeling from Dopamine. We use Barbiturates to replace what we would naturally get from Serotonin.
Whether perscribed or illegal, many need these drugs to feel any joy or peace, or as they say, to feel normal.
Let’s explore GRATITUDE as a way to stay connected to God and feed on joy and peace. This is regardless of what is happening around you.
Let’s start with a question: What are you thankful for?
What is one time in your life that you were the most grateful? You felt on top of the world, everything felt right. Some people I ask that question and I get an immediate response. They have a couple of these big gratitude memories right at the front of the thoughts and easy to recall.
Others struggle to come up with anything. They have memories where they should have been thankful but they really haven’t thought about it much.
Remember joy is right-brain, the relational side.
We wish we could just live connected with God in a state of joy and peacecand gratitude all the time but we live in a broken world full of broken people.
Bad stuff happens to us, emotionally hurt, physical pains, relational stress, financial issues, bad memories, from our past and oppression and pain in the world we witness on the news or in person. These thoughts trigger lots of emotions.
All of the emotions we experience can be divided into 7 categories. One is positive, happiness and there are six which are negative: sadness, anger, disgust , shame, fear, and hopeless/despair.
Slide: Emotions chart – One good and six bad, what does that tell you? Examine where you are living.
I won’t go into all of the definitions because I think you recognize them in your own life and others. They are important and not to be ignored.
That was my old philosophy for years. I thought I can’t trust my emotions and I don’t want to be misled so I will ignore them. Just push, everything down and avoid it at all cost.
Then I read Pete Scazarro’s book, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” and it changed my perspective.
We don’t ignore our negative emotions. They tell us what is going on inside and even help us.
Examples…
Sadness. This helps us with empathy. Jesus said, blessed are those who mourn. Moves is to empathy and compassion.
Anger. Causes us to intervene in a redemptive way. If we can keep our relational connection to God. Jesus was angry with the Pharisees at their lack of faith and religious spirit. Confront in love.
Disgust. Can teach us social intelligence. Move us to Action. Child trafficking.
Shame. Some shame is good. Some is toxic but good shame can defeat narcissism in us. Pain I’ve caused someone.
Fear. Helpful in that it can keep you from danger. Caution.
Hopeless/despair. David in the Psalms wrote about being in despair but then God comes through.
We process these negarive emotions in God’s presence.
- Why am I feeling this way?
- How should I respond?
- Release it God and choose to focus on gratitude.
Gratitude moves us from these, negative emotions to Joy & peace.
Cicero in ancient Rome said, “gratitude was the greatest virtue”.
Story of the power of gratitude Jesus healing a group of lepers in Luke 17.
Jesus traveled on toward Jerusalem and passed through the border region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered one village, ten men approached him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers.
Lepers were the first to practice social distancing. They had to announce to anyone coming near them that they were unclean. (And we think a mask is an inconvenience.)
They could not be in society or even worship in the Temple.
I think of how many people today who consider themselves unclean and exclude themselves from church and worship. When they come to church or even think about God they feel so unclean.
13 They shouted to him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t you have mercy on us and heal us?”
14 When Jesus stopped to look at them, he spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.”
This was what was required. See Lev. 13:19; 14:1-11 Infections and diseases . What a step of faith for these lepers as they stepped out on only the word Jesus spoke to them. They were to go to the priest, who would confirm their healing and declare them ceremonially clean and approved to go into the temple to worship God.
Lepers missing fingers, roes, even their nose.
They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way. 15 One of them, a foreigner from Samaria, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God. 16 When he found Jesus, he fell down at his feet and thanked him over and over, saying to him, “You are the Messiah.” This man was a Samaritan. (Luke 2x samaritan).
For a Samaritan man to give thanks to a Jewish man was unique. Since he likely had no “priest,” he turned to the only one he knew to be a priest for him, Jesus Christ.
Interesting that this Samaritan was hanging out with Jews. What caused them to accept one another was their pain.
Like going to a bar. You know you won’t be judged by people (like at church). “Wouldn’t you like to get away., sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you csme. You want troubles are all, the same. Bars work because they have a low bar.
17 “So where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. “Weren’t there ten who were healed? 18 They all refused to return to give thanks and give glory to God except you, a foreigner from Samaria?”
Everyone wants to be healed but not everyone wants a relationship with God. They pray in a crisis, God comes through and they get spiritual for a little while until life gets busy and they are in the same place they started.
19 Then Jesus said to the healed man lying at his feet, “Arise and go. It was your faith that brought you salvation and healing.” Luke 17:11-19
Nine men had an encounter with Jesus, one got a new life. For the nine maybe that was enough or all they wanted, but one got so much more through his pursuing Jesus and worshipping Jesus, he received eternal life.
Salvation means being made whole in every area of life. Some believe Jesus did a creative miracle causing the Samaritans body parts to regrow.
Gratitude brought this Samaritan into the presence of Jesus where an eternal relationship began. This is why gratitude is so important.
And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 TPT
Gratitude Lab
We’re going to practice gratitude. This requires us to still ourselves and our minds.
Problem: We have lost the ability to focus and appreciate solitude. This may have contributed to a lost willingness to connect with God as well. A home more distractions.
God speaks with Moses after he sees that Moses is willing to pay attention to him: “When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’” (Exodus 3:4).
How do we get it back? Scott is going to speak in a few weeks about Dopamine addiction, and how to restore our ability to concentrate.
The best way to still, your mind, according to neuroscience is with your breathing. When your breathing is under control a signal is sent throughout your brain that says you can switch off the fight or flight energy and Hyper-vigilance or sensitivity. You can relax and be a little vulnerable, especially in a room full of people.
Step 1: 3×3 breathing exercise.
This slows us down physically, mentally and emotionally. It allows our brain to relax and release Serotonin. When we are at peace we can focus our attention on one thing.
- Breathe in for a three count. “In, two, three”.
- Hold breath for a three count. “Hold, two, three”.
- Exhale for a three count. “Out, two, three”.
- Hold for a three count. “Hold, two, three”.
Step 2: Find one gratitude memory.
A time when life felt good. Maybe it was what you were doing or who you were with. It might be a family gathering, or a time alone. A conversation you had, a time when you felt really loved by someone or God.
Think about one memory right now and focus on it.
Step 3: Relive the moment.
Identify where you were, what you felt, and why you were grateful. Close your eyes and go back to that moment. Stay there for a minute. What are you seeing? What are you taking in through your five senses?
Why or what makes it special? What, emotions did it provoke in you then? Which ones now?
Step 4: God’s view in the memory.
Just go with any impulse picture or thought you get. Explore it. Even have a conversation with God about the moment. Maybe thank Him for making it happen and causing you to remember it today.
If we can see God in our good memories it makes it easier to see Him in our difficult and painful memories.
Step 5: Name it so you can easily recall it later.
Your creating a new neuropathway thst helps you escape from negative thoughts and get on the right brain realtional side of your brain and connect with God.
Now instead of being trapped in the negative emotions snd teying to figure it out on your own (left brain) You can, get God’s perspective and His joy and peace.
At each and every sunrise we will be thanking you for your kindness and your love. As the sun sets and all through the night, we will keep proclaiming, “You are so faithful!” Psalms 92:2 TPT
To watch the video of the teaching from October 4, 2020 at Vineyard Life Church visit vlindy.com.
