Seattle — Day 32: Classical Conditioning

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus Jesus Jesus; Jesus. Jesus? Jesus. Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus — Jesus. Jesus! Jesus. Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus JESUS. “Jesus” Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus.

To be quite frank, this is incredibly strange to look at. I’ve never seen the name of Jesus written so many times like this every before in my life. I’ve never written the name of Jesus this many times in a consecutive sequence before. I reflect on the activity that children are forced to do when they can’t spell a word or are at detention for something that they did wrong. Teachers or instructors would tell children to write on chalkboards or paper the word they misspelled or some phrase indicating positive behavior change over and over again, for the sake of reinforcement. (You can think of The Simpson’s Bart Simpson in the opening scene, or the students of Hogwarts when Dolores Umbridge is the head master for a visual reference of the activity, but not in intention). And all of this got me thinking. How much do I, do we, reinforce the teachings of Christ, or rather even just the name of Jesus alone in our lives? Do we truly value the name of Jesus?

When I think of reinforcement, I think back to Cognitive Science 1, a course I took back at Berkeley, that talked about Classical conditioning. The concept of it is that you come to learn things as you reinforce the teaching, to be very brief and simple. Though this isn’t the only way we learn things, it’s widely accepted and held that this method of reinforcement is a primary way of how our brains come to understand a concept, or learn a motion. There’s something that we can learn definitely from all this, that being — are we reinforcing what we know about Jesus?

I saw and thought about this a lot at work. I was reflecting on whether or not I was living in a manner that edified the name of Jesus with every single meditation on my heart, and mind. The answer, was obviously a no. And beyond that, the answer so many times when I think of whether I’m reinforcing the words or teachings Christ bestows upon me is often a no as well. Here’s what I mean.

Jesus will come teach us something brand new, or perhaps remind us of a promise that He has given us. Peter, I’m a faithful friend. I respond with amen, think about it for a while, and then forget about it. Sure this isn’t the case with every single teaching or characteristic of Christ, but the calling is to know Christ in His fullness, to reinforce all that He is, not just the parts we want. This is what I’m trying to get at. So often, we live in a manner where we only reinforce or teach ourselves the aspects of Christ that we’re pleased with, or that we’re comfortable with talking about. We choose not to delve into the difficult doctrines of the word or deep philosophically challenging questions because we don’t want any part of that part of Christ. Yet, Christ compels and encourages us to have Him at the center of all things, to be reinforced in every single thing that we do, speak, think, hear, and meditate on. Christ must be the center of all reinforcement, of all learning in anything that we do.

I’m reflecting on this because it’s incredibly difficult to reinforce Christ into my life as I struggle through learning the things that I’ve been tasked with here at Amazon. I struggle to see the trustworthiness of God as I don’t understand a single concept, or see the faithfulness of Christ as there is no physical fruit of my labor. Yet, this is why I’m encouraged in the midst of my disappointment. Christ says that He is for me, that He is trustworthy and that He is faithful. So, I pick up my cross, deny my heart, die to my flesh, and reinforce the teaching and true nature of Christ in my heart, soul, mind, and strength, whether I want to believe it or not in the moment. For the promises of God are true, and faithful to stand the test of time and circumstance. Therefore, we reinforce every promise based on the standing that Christ will honor them and complete them. We reinforce our understandings of who Christ is holistically because He says that I Am and that He is true, that there is no deviation or change in Him, that He is constant.

So I challenge you with this. See and ask the Lord what you have not been reinforcing. Perhaps its as fundamental as the gospel. Heck there are so many days where I wake up and don’t reinforce the gospel’s truth into my mind, by reading the word and thanking the Lord for life, asking Him for the courage to spread the news throughout the day and the rest of my life. Perhaps its Him reinforcing the understanding the that bible is inerrant and true. Perhaps its in remembering that God does not despise a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Perhaps its in teaching you that we must submit to authority. We can go on and on. I challenge you, as the Lord has been challenging me, and reinforcing so many things, that you allow Him, in asking Him, to do so in your life. For you are not your own (1 Corinthians 6). Let’s remember that in all this, the purpose is to not only be more like Christ, but to simply, have Christ, more of Him.

Change my heart oh God,
Make it ever true.
Change my heart oh God,
May I be like You.

You are the potter,
I am the clay,
Mold me and make me,
This is what I pray.

Prayer Requests: 
I think that there’s a lot of things that the Lord has been reinforcing into my heart. It’s been evident through the various things that the Lord has been challenging me with as I write these blog posts. I think in the midst of all work and craziness in being here in Seattle, I do not want to lose sight of reinforcing the most important thing, aside from just disciplines and even character. I want to ask that you can pray that the Lord would continue to reinforce my understanding for the desperate necessity of Jesus.

“The gospel was never meant to be recognized by its disciplines; It was meant to be recognized by its passions. The disciplines are the banks of the river. A river derives its power from its banks. Without its banks, a river will become spread thin and eventually dry up. But make no mistake, we need the river.” — Cory Asbury