Homeostasis

I don't meake "New Years Resolutions", but if I did it would be to maintain "Homeostasis". Homeostasis is one of the first things I remember about medic school. It’s on my “Top Ten” most important things I learned in life. The following comes from Biology Online:

Definition noun

(1) The tendency of an organism or a cell to regulate its internal conditions, usually by a system of feedback controls, so as to stabilize health and functioning, regardless of the outside changing conditions

(2) The ability of the body or a cell to seek and maintain a condition of equilibrium or stability within its internal environment when dealing with external changes

In humans, homeostasis happens when the body regulates body temperature in an effort to maintain an internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, we sweat to cool off during the hot summer days, and we shiver to produce heat during the cold winter season. As long as the body is able to compensate for external changes, everything goes as designed. When the external environment exceeds the body’s ability to compensate, then death will ensue. A small cut is no problem for the body; a major cut can cause death. You can even survive oxygen deprivation for a minute or so; after that, your body is going to start screaming for air.

God also designed the church body to maintain homeostasis:

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13

So God gives the church all of these “Body Parts” (prophets, evangelist, pastors & teachers) to keep in balance. Not just one part, but many parts. When something happens in our human body, there is a multiplicity of responses which require multiple “parts”to do thier thing. Just to drink a glass of water: our hands reach, muscles articulate, saliva glands secrete, taste buds activate, our tongue moves, our glottis closes so we don’t choke. All of this happens to make sure the body survives.

There is a clear purpose for each of these “Body parts”:

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ”. Ephesians 4:14-15

For a body to grow properly as God intended, it must “GROW”. There is an expected maturity if the body is healthy. Paul rebuked the church of Corinth for not growing.

“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 1Cor3:1-2

How would you like to get that staement from Paul in your email?

God didn’t design Christianity to be a spectator sport. “Let’s all gather at the stadium (church) and root for the home team”. No, God expects our participation in our Faith; we are the Body. If we approach our Faith from the outside of the body, we are out of balance; we are not in a state of “Homeostasis”. A hand cut from the body is no longer part of the body and is unable to benefit from the nourishment. We must be a part of the body to be able to be maintained by the body. The purpose is clear.

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

I come from a family of bad knees. My grandfather had knee surgery, my dad had knee surgery, I had knee surgery, my son had knee surgery, and my dog has had knee surgery. Needless to say, ligaments are very important things to the Holtkamp family (Just a note, the dog is adopted). If you have ever had any type of joint go out, you know it affects your whole body. In the case of my knee, the one that hurt the most was the one that was not injured. Why? It was compensating for the injury to the other.

In Conclusion:

God has blessed us with an amazing body, both physically and spiritually. If we take care of them, they serve us well. If we ignore and abuse them, get out of balance, we scream in pain all the way to our soul. I hope you set about this New Year to get into better shape, both spiritually and physically. Maintain “Homeostasis”; stay in balance. Don't start the New Year at the gym and end it face down in a a gallon of Hagen Daus. Don't start at the church door and end it alone, apart from the Body...