How do people change? This is a question that has fascinated, and borderline haunted me over the years of pastoring people. Whether they be students, young adults, or parents, I often catch myself wondering \u201cWill you ever grow up?\u201d Now, admittedly, this can come from a misplaced, self-righteous frustration with people (such is the crucible of ministry). However, the question of how people change is critical for leaders to ponder.<\/p>\n
Willard’s VIM – Vision, Intention, Means<\/strong><\/p>\n The late USC philosopher Dallas Willard wrote extensively on this subject. In his book The Renovation of the Heart<\/em>,[1]<\/a> Willard, in utilizing the acronym VIM for vision, intentions, <\/em>and means, <\/em>contends this is the process people change. And the process for students of Jesus to change into more Christ-like character starts with a vision of the Kingdom life, the desire and will to do what is necessary to attain such a vision, and the means (the spiritual disciplines) to get there.[2]<\/a> Without one of these ingredients, change becomes at best unsustainable and at worst impossible. Vision and the desire to pursue such a vision are vital ingredients to how people change.<\/p>\n Dopamine and H&N in Spiritual Formation\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n This is where the chemical dopamine comes into the picture. In The Molecule of More<\/em>,[3]<\/a> Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long write about the miracle chemical in our brains that is responsible for drive. This is the chemical of desire to attain something that is not yet ours.[4]<\/a>The reason one gets out of bed in the morning is because of dopamine. And, I would argue, the vision of a Kingdom life with Christ-like character is not possible without dopamine. However, it is not dopamine alone that is required for spiritual formation into Christ-likeness.<\/p>\n My contention is this: The way God changes us from the inside out is through a Kingdom vision, a re-forming of our desires to align with God\u2019s desires, and the means, also known as the spiritual disciplines, to change. But the spiritual disciplines are a balance<\/em> of dopamine and, what Lieberman and Long call Here and Now<\/em> (H&N<\/em>) chemicals. I am now going to highlight spiritual disciplines that lean more into dopamine followed by disciplines that rely more on H&N chemicals.<\/p>\n A Breakdown of Dopamine-driven Spiritual Disciplines and H&N-Driven Spiritual Disciplines<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to spiritual disciplines that are driven more by the chemical of pursuit for a preferred future (dopamine), I argue the following (though there could be more) are in this category:<\/p>\n These are disciplines that pull us toward a future we long for \u2013 a future where God\u2019s will is done fully on earth as it is in heaven.<\/p>\n But there needs to be a balance of the dopamine-driven disciplines with the H&N-influenced disciplines. As dopamine drives us towards a preferred future, H&N grounds us in the present world where God can already be found. The following are some spiritual disciplines influenced by H&N chemicals:<\/p>\n The Kingdom of God is both now (H&N) and not yet (Dopamine). I, admittedly, do not know what that means for our future when evil is done away with and God dwells again with humanity like God did in the garden (Revelation 21:3). Will this mean we will have no more need for dopamine in our resurrected bodies? I doubt it, but it\u2019s a fun thought experiment.<\/p>\n The Need for Harmony<\/strong><\/p>\n But in the present, there is a balance required for our dopamine and H&N chemicals in order to live a healthy, full life. As Lieberman and Long write, \u201cThere’s only one thing that will save us: the ability to achieve a better balance, to overcome our obsession with more, appreciate the unlimited complexity of reality, and learn to enjoy the things we have.\u201d[5]<\/a> Harmony, not dopamine over H&N or vice versa, is the key. As the Native American theologian Randy Woodley writes, \u201cEverything is created in harmony and balance with everything else and with the Creator.\u201d[6]<\/a> Sounds like shalom.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ – 20th Anniversary Edition<\/em> (NavPress, 2021).<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Ibid. 82-86.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long, The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity-and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race<\/em> (Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, Inc, 2018).<\/p>\n\n
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