Information Related to "Becoming Resensitized"
| Audio/Video |
Becoming Resensitized By Jeremy Lallier If we have prolonged or repeated exposure to something, we get used to it. So what happens when that something is wrong -- something we don't want to be comfortable with? It takes a lot of commitment -- and God's help -- but we can restore our sensitivity to sin.
ecently I've been on a webcomic kick. (For those who don't know, a webcomic is a short, regularly published comic strip you can read over the Internet.) After I finished United Church of God's nine-month Ambassador Bible Center program, I found myself with a lot more spare time than I had the drive to do anything with -- and webcomics turned out to be an addictive time waster. It also turns out there are a lot of them floating around, so it's pretty much impossible to run out of material.
It's embarrassing, really. I don't swear and fully intend to keep it that way. But the words are in my head and it seems as if they've taken up residence there -- and that's something I never should have let happen. Now it's a battle to try to kick them out. I'm not writing this as some sort of confessional; I just want to give you some example of what I want to talk about: desensitization. It's the process by which, through continued exposure to one thing or another, we get used to something, accepting it as normal. The process starts when we're in the womb. The online science news service EurekAlert! recently reported on a process called fetal habituation -- where a fetus, repeatedly exposed to the same stimulus, will eventually recognize it as "safe" and therefore stop responding to it. We habituate too. It's just the way we work as human beings. In almost every case, constant exposure to any one thing gradually reduces whatever impact it formerly had on us.
But what happens once we become desensitized to a sin? Is it possible to become resensitized? It's difficult, but I submit that not only is it possible, it is absolutely necessary that we do. Let's look at what God says on the issue. Ideally, you don't want to deal with becoming desensitized at all, because it's a very difficult road back. Many have been there -- maybe even are there now -- and know how true this is. That's why Paul wrote that we should "flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight" (1 Timothy 6:11-12). If we hang around the evil of the world too long, we will begin to accept it as -- at the very least -- normal.
But how do we get from being desensitized to resensitized? Here are a few steps that will help you on your journey. 1. Ask God for the strength to change It has to start here. Our own will and drive isn't going to be enough to bring about any sort of permanent change; it must be coupled with strength and will from God. All things are possible with Him (Philippians 4:13); few things are possible without. 2. Separate yourself from whatever you've become desensitized to
3. Force yourself back into being disgusted by what's evil Here's the tricky part. It's easy when your gut instinct is to hate a sin, but when you're used to it, you have to mentally tell yourself, "Okay, this is bad. This keeps people separated from God and from having a relationship with Him. This is why Christ was nailed to a tree." The more we begin to think through the implications of that (Romans 12:2), the more we can regain the knee-jerk emotional response of hating sin that we had lost. 4. DON'T GO BACK! This seems as if it should be simple. Avoid returning to whatever led you down the path to getting desensitized in the first place. But we make mistakes all the time, and it's easy to justify certain actions, even when we know where they lead. But don't. That's all there is to it. Do not choose to do it -- because it is always a choice. If you do make that mistake, then repeat steps 1-4 until you've got it right. Just don't forget Solomon's words in Proverbs 26:11 -- "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Doing the same stupid thing that got you in trouble the first time is like eating your own vomit. Graphic? Certainly, yes. But it makes the point. If we are to be the lights God called us out of the world to be, we cannot allow ourselves to become accustomed to the evil around us. When we slip back into accepting old familiar sins, we must become resensitized. It is not an option. Copyright 2009 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
|||||||||||||||
Related Information:
Other Articles by Jeremy Lallier
Origin of article "Becoming Resensitized"
Keywords: webcomics addiction desensitized desensitized to sin hardening
Sin: