21 Sep Modern Neuroscience Leads Us Down a Biblical Path
Blog Series:
Renew Your Mind ~ Transform Your Life
Modern neuroscience is powerfully reinforcing what the Bible says about our mind. The Bible teaches us how to steward our minds, and neuroscience is coming along and telling us why. Neurological literature has coined the term “self-directed neuroplasticity,” as a general description of the principle that deep-thinking changes brain structure and function.
In her book, Switch On Your Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf writes:
“When you understand the power of your thought life… you truly begin to get a glimpse of how important it is to take responsibility for what you are thinking. God was so serious about us capturing our thoughts and renewing our minds that he gave us science as an encouragement” (p. 24).
Throughout her book, Dr. Leaf continuously makes dramatic statements that justify science as an encouragement to the Christian life:
“Research dating back to the 1970s shows that capturing our thoughts in a disciplined way rather than letting them chaotically run rampant can bring about impressive changes in how we feel and think. This change is evidenced in cognitive, emotional functioning… My research shows that controlled focused thinking leads to impressive improvement in cognitive functioning and emotional balance” (p. 72).
As Christians carefully steward their mind,
“the brain is more active, growing more branches in integrating and linking thoughts, which translates as increased intelligence and wisdom and that wonderful feeling of peace. God also throws in some additional benefits such as increased immune and cardiovascular health” (pg. 84).
Who wouldn’t want to become smarter, wiser, emotionally balanced and healthier?!?
From neuroscience, we learn there are three things that are vital to a healthy mind:
- Structured repetition
“Whatever you think about the most will grow, so the more [you reinforce] a particular thought, the stronger it grows. You can’t just apply a thought once and think change has happened. It takes repeated work…” (Switch on Your Brain, p. 128).
“It’s not easy; it is hard work, but it can be done through our thoughts and choices” (Switch on Your Brain, p. 128).
- Focused attention
“The primary success of capturing your thoughts will be to focus on God’s way first, not the world’s ways. And science is showing that meditating on the elements of Jesus’s teaching rewires healthy new circuits in the brain” (Switch On Your Brain, p. 73).
“Regular meditators – by this I mean those who have adopted a disciplined and focused, reflecting thought life in which they bring all thoughts into captivity – [have a brain] that is more active, growing more branches and integrating and linking thoughts, which translates as increased intelligence and wisdom and that wonderful feeling of peace” (Switch On Your Brain, p. 84).
- Strategic Feeding
“Doing your own brain surgery or neoplastic intervention of toxic thinking and renewing your mind is based on regular exercising of your brain; change takes place over time through continual persistence. Intervention of the mind changes the brain physically, chemically, structurally, and functionally” (Switch On Your Brain, p. 67).
“… capturing our thoughts in a disciplined way rather than letting them chaotically run rampant can bring about impressive changes in how we feel and think” (Switch On Your Brain, p. 72).
These three points correlate directly to three biblical principles:
- Memorizing Scripture – Nowhere does the Bible say, “Thou shalt memorize Scripture.” However, any number of verses imply it:
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- “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
- “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you…” (Colossians 3:16).
- “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7)
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- Meditating on Scripture – The Bible is rich in verses that encourage biblical meditation:
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- “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…” (Joshua 1:8).
- “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1 – 2).
- “O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).
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- Strategically feeding our mind – The Bible is rich in verses that encourage us to develop our minds fully:
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- “The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly” (Proverbs 15:14).
- “The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15).
- “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
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Conclusion
Memorizing and meditating on Scripture are powerful ways to renew the mind and transform the life. They are certainly not the only pathway to mental renewal, however. All truth is God’s truth, and whatever is true can be used to strategically feed the mind things that will help us achieve our spiritual potential and become all God wants us to be.
In summary, Dr. Leif writes:
“When we direct our rest by introspection, self-reflection, and prayer; when we catch our thoughts; when we memorize and quote Scripture; and when we develop our mind intellectually… [it] improves brain function and mental, physical, and spiritual health” (Switch On Your Brain, p. 79).
These three principles of 1) structured repetition, 2) focused attention, and 3) strategic feeding of the mind are implied in Scripture and verified by modern neurological research. As we embrace this double whammy of revolutionary information, we can guide and accelerate the process of renewing our minds and transforming our lives.
As we continue to unpack the remarkable correlation between biblical principles and modern neurological research, I look forward to sharing more life transforming truth with you next week. See you then.
In case you’re new here
This blog post is part of a series titled “Renew Your Mind, Transform Your Life”, introduced on January 5, 2021. As the series continues, each succeeding post will be added to and available in the blog archives at www.maxanders.com.
If you know anyone who you think might enjoy joining us in this study, please forward this blog to them and encourage them to go to my web site (www.maxanders.com) and sign up for the free video, “Master the Bible So Well That the Bible Masters You”, available there on the home page. This will put them on my regular mailing list and they’ll receive my weekly blogs on this subject.
In addition, I am creating a new online membership site, The Change Zone, that will provide information, strategies and resources to help motivated Christians renew their mind and transform their lives. If you would like to learn more about this and get updates to know when The Change Zone will be available, click here.
I look forward to going through this life-changing journey with you.
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