BIPOLARITY
Mission Trip Journaling
Day#4
Tuesday, April 9th, 2025
According to Andrew Huberman, Professor in Neurobiology& Oftalmology at Stanford School of Medicine, Bipolar depression is a mental disorder that is characterized by producing irregularities in our Serotonin levels within the brain (Hormone/Neuromodulator in charge of the sensations of contentment and gratification.) Making us have Episodes of Mania which are elevated levels (or peaks) of Serotonin beyond what is usual, causing us to go out of ourselves in someway an irresponsible and unrealistic manner, followedby extreme drops in our Serotonin levels (or lows) typically known as a "Depressive State." As a personal opinion I think Having to navigate through this particular mental illness might even be more challenging than just maybestruggling with depression itself because you get to experience both ends of the spectrum, most of the time simultaneously, it has to be contradicting and most certainly confusing while going through it, and it seems like one sets you up for the effect of the other to be worse, for your actions under the influence of one state positions you higher making the pain of the drop to be greater.
As a Christian many times I've seriously questioned myself:" What the Heck!, am I Bipolar?" (And "heck" has not beenthe word I've used in particular, but trynna keep it "churchy")
And apparently, According to Apostle Paul, We are all bynature bipolar as beings (Romans 7: 15-24), for we all have a mortal body ("Flesh") corrupted by sin who delights in pursuing its own passions & desires, yet we also have available (by rebirth) a spirit to dwell in us (Enabled by Jesus´ sacrifice) who delights in pursuing what pleases the Spiritof God.
Our being requires a master to serve, for we are bound andcreated to be servants, not masters.
My flesh with its desires, if allowed, will become a servantto sin.
Sin will not enter our lives as a servant, but will becomemy master. "Taking me further than I want to go, retaining me longer than I wanna stay, costing me more than I wanna pay", I heard my Pastor preach once.
Making me free of righteousness and a slave to sin, whose ultimate purpose is to bring a harvest of death. (Both:spiritual, in the first place, and physical ultimately)
However, if allowed also, the spirit Jesus made available tocome to live within me will not come as a servant, but as my master. A master whose delight & desire is to do that which pleases the will of the Spirit of God. Making me free from sin, but a slave to righteousness, whose ultimate purpose is to bring forth a fruit of eternal & abundant life. (Both in thislife and the next.)
I have been a slave to both masters. Serving either feelspleasing while serving them, one is pleasing to the flesh and numbs the action of the spirit & the power of the Spirit in me, while the other is pleasing to the Spirit and numbs the action of the flesh and power of sin upon me. The main difference relies on the fruit and outcome each produces.
I guess depending on what we want personally, either aharvest of eternal life and abundance or one of death & despair, we already know which master to go to and present ourselves as a surrendered servant.
And my personal experience tells me this will be a dailydecision.
Referenced verse
Romans 6:12-23
