Samsung (or why I've come to despise Pavlov)

One of the many classes that I coasted through in High School was AP Psychology. I can neither confirm nor deny that we had a textbook for that class. I certainly can't tell you anything about any major psychologist. Well, except one guy. Pavlov. You know Pavlov, don't you? The guy with the bell and the dog that slobbered?

(First, a fair warning. If you've stumbled upon this blog entry looking for an in-depth analysis of Pavlovian theory, then you might as well quickly stumble yourself somewhere else. Because I have no idea what I'm talking about. I didn't pay attention in AP Psychology, remember?)

Pavlov had a bell, a bowl of dog food, and a dog -- as all great psychological experiments should begin! He studied something that I'm going to call conditioned behavior (that might or might not be its real name.) Every time he fed his dog, he rang the bell. Through repetition, he conditioned the dog to associate the noise -- the ding-ding-ding of a bell -- with the pleasure of getting fed.

Eventually, Pavlov learned that all he had to do to make his dog slobber uncontrollably (like he was being fed) was to ring the bell! One ding-ding-ding and his puppy would start slobbering like a Great Dane in a butcher's shop. I'm sure that trick was a big hit at parties.

I've unknowingly been conducting my own Pavlovian experiment.

We have a Samsung plasma TV. It's a great TV. We love it. Our Samsung isn't so much a source of entertainment as it is the most vocal member of our family. It captivates us when we are in the room; on or off, it's always found in its honored place in the center of our living room. It talks to us when it's on -- TV shows. It even talks to us when it's off -- it goes to sleep with an impressive glow of blue light and a pleasant melodious beep "good night". Good night, mouse. Good night, house. Good night, Samsung TV with your melodious beep.

We usually take our giant beagle Lucy outside to go potty one final time before hitting the hay -- usually right after we say goodnight to our TV.... Hmm... The TV. The dog. The melodious beep. The potty. Darn you, Pavlov.

When she hears that melodious beep "good night", Lucy will immediately jump up from her spot on the love seat and sprint (not walk) across the living room, down the stairs, and to the backdoor so she can visit the potty.

It's a conditioned behavior, locked into our dog's brain. It doesn't really matter how recently she has been to the potty or even what time of day it is when we turn off the TV. When she hears the beep, she's gotta go and she's gotta go now!

Look, I'm a pastor so I feel like there needs to be a spiritual point to this. Everything is spiritual, someone (Rob Bell) smarter than me once said. What have we become conditioned to? What has Pavlov done to us? What signals -- no matter how melodious -- trigger unconscious behavior in us?

I think that when we get into certain familiar situations, we have conditioned ourselves to act a certain way. We act like this around some people, like that around others; this way when we're here, that way when we're there. We're allowing an external influence to dictate who we are and what we do. That's not always healthy, especially when the influences push us away from God's will for our lives or in the direction of sin.

Don't Be a Fool

Wisdom says: As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear; I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.

This past weekend at Cape Naz Church we discussed among other things wisdom vs. knowledge. I briefly made the point that the opposite of wisdom is foolishness. A few definitions that will mark this brief discussion, and then to the point:

What is wisdom? Knowledge that you successfully put into action.

What is foolishness? Knowing the truth and how it should affect your life, and then ignoring it.

I don't think that anyone wants to be called a fool. It's a harsh term. Though it's not necessarily an active word in our modern vernacular, -- you don't hear the teenagers calling each other fools -- we would still be hurt if the term was used against us. I'm not going to call you a fool. Instead, I'm going to ask you to evaluate whether you are one or not.

The critical aspect of wisdom is the "successfully put into action" part of the definition. I've mentioned before that Christianity isn't a "do" religion. It's a "be" relationship. Be more like Christ. Be lovingly obedient to God. Be a follower of Jesus.

Our actions should flow out of our relationship with Christ. We've chosen to become like Christ and that affects our "do" -- our behavior. A behavior change without the relationship with Christ doesn't matter for beans. We aren't saved by good works. We're saved by grace through faith (a "be" concept).

That's where wisdom comes in. Do you consider yourself a Christian? Answer the question to yourself right now.

OK. If you answered yes, then you've committed to "be" like Christ.

Let me say that again. If you're a Christian, then you've committed to "be" like Christ. That's the implication of salvation. We've tried to dress it down over the years as little more than a prayer, but it's more than that. You are accepting Christ... that he is God, that he is truth, that his way will be your way, that without him you are sinful and separated.

A wise Christian daily grows in his/her knowledge of God and then puts that knowledge into practical application in their lives. They are "be-ing" Jesus.

What would a fool do? Ah... You can see where I am going.

A foolish person would know the truth about God and then deliberately ignore it.

I personally feel pretty foolish sometimes when I know I've done something that goes against God's word (his wisdom). There are many times when I just want to curl up in a box and hide because I've ignored a truth about God and the life he wants us to live. It hurts. It's painful. It's a bruise to my ego.

Becoming a person of spiritual wisdom takes time, practice and failure. If you start with that one commitment -- to be more like Christ -- then actively seek God to let him change who you are and what you do. That's the Christian life. It's going to have ups and downs, trials and tribulations, but God will constantly be speaking to you, building you up, pushing you farther in faith, and revealing his wisdom to you.

Become a person of wisdom. Don't be a fool.