Thank you for your answer. I read it twice, honestly, is like you put all my ideas in order. Totally agree, I mean the fact that is a verb and a command indicates an action, a decision. It's something that involves proactivity, and when you take action, then the feeling comes as a result. And like you mention neuroplasticity, I work as a medical translator and last year I had to interpret a workshop about this topic. It blows my mind the way we can re-teach our brain to think different and then our brain tells our body to feel different.
Same here, I loved psychology before surrendering my life to Jesus so I was quite amazed at the psychological truths in scripture that promotes the renewing of the mind.
For example, I studied this last year and this was amazing what I learned. I wrote it down.
Renewing and Rewiring: How your mind, body and soul can find transformation.
Romans 12:2 New International Version
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How do we renew our minds so that we may be able to know the will of God?
We must first make sure our foundation is solid.
Ephesians 2:19-22 New International Version
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, we see how important it is for us to receive the Holy Spirit but also to listen to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit living in us knows the will of God. With this, the Spirit helps us come to the truth and to get an understanding.
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 New International Version
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
The Holy Spirit helps us in this transformation by teaching us and reminding us of God's Holy and perfect will.
How do we learn of God’s holy and perfect will?
John 14:26 New International Version
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
This truth counters the lies of Satan and the world. We are told to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy in the eyes of God.
We put these over the negative, therefore the positive takes the place over the negative. This begins to replace the old self with the new self.
Philippians 4:8 New International Version
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
In the renewing of our mind, not only are you spiritually influenced, but also physically transformed as the brain forms new connections and pathways that ultimately can rewire our brains. This is called Neuroplasticity. There are many ways this helps us renew our minds as well.
"A few of the methods that have been shown to enhance or boost neuroplasticity include:
“Intermittent fasting (as noted earlier): increases synaptic adaptation, promotes neuron growth, improve overall cognitive function, and decreases the risk of neurodegenerative disease; (periods of fasting followed by periods of normal food intake); (1)
Joel 2:12 New International Version
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
During the state of fasting, you improve in cognitive function and this can promote neuron growth that helps your taste, smell, hearing, seeing, touch, and movement.
Cognitive functioning refers to multiple mental abilities, including learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, decision making, and attention. (2)
Using mnemonic devices: memory training can enhance connectivity in the prefrontal parietal network and prevent some age-related memory loss; (1)
God in His Word uses the technique of repetition that has helped people for centuries memorize the scriptures due to the absence of household scrolls or writings. It was in the 1400s with the 1455 Gutenberg Bible being the first to be mass-produced.
Examples:
551 times in the NIV, love is mentioned. The parable of the sower is mentioned in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15.
Dancing: reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and increases neural connectivity; (1)
Psalm 149:3 NIV
3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
Dancing is a way one can worship God but it also helps your brain to learn new tasks with memorization.
Sleeping: encourages learning retention through the growth of the dendritic spines that act as connections between neurons and help transfer information across cells (Nguyen, 2016).(1)
Relaxation techniques to keep stress at bay (1)
Exodus 20:11 God rested on the 7th day and God called it Holy.
Setting a precedent that the Sabbath day was made for man, not that man was made for the Sabbath. To break the Sabbath was once a death penalty in the Mosaic law. Jesus came to explain that the day of rest was to help mankind, not further burden them.
Learning an instrument or listening to music (1)
Musical training—and perhaps even habitual engagement with listening to and appreciating music—can help the brain enhance its natural neuroplasticity and improve countless abilities and cognitive skills. (1)
Psalm 149:3 NIV
3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
In a recent writing, I did on the Aesthetics of music related to worship. I was amazed to see the positive effects on the brain related to the musician or simply listening to positive music that includes the warmer musical notes in a harmony.
Mindfulness meditation (Irving, 2016). (1)
Jessica Cassity (n.d.) writes this about mindfulness meditation and neuroplasticity:
“With meditation, your brain is effectively being rewired: As your feelings and thoughts morph toward a more pleasant outlook your brain is also transforming, making this way of thought more of a default… The more your brain changes from meditation, the more you react to everyday life with that same sense of calm, compassion, and awareness.”(1)
Joshua 1:8 New International Version
8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Meditate on God's truth day and night. You will begin to change from an infant Christian into a mature Christian. The more you change, the more you will want to react and follow God's commands.
The difference will be like...
Matthew 26:73-74 New International Version
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” 74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.
VERSUS
Acts 5:27-29 New International Version
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
A true transformation will include both mind, body and soul. Your soul will be hungry for Spiritual nourishment. Your mind will begin to align with the mind of God. Your body will follow the will of the soul and mind.
When scripture says that God can heal us for example,
Psalm 107:20 New Revised Standard Version
20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.
Trauma, anxiety, depression, rejection, ptsd, sorrow or pain. The renewing and rewiring of the mind and brain can be life transforming both spiritually and physically.
Do you make regular practice of intermediate fasting with focus on giving God more time, meditation on God’s Word, dancing in worship, listening to music that promotes Biblical truth, worship God with an instrument, getting enough sleep, finding time to relax, or memory training to equip you with the Word of God?
Sources:
(1)
https://positivepsychology.com/neuroplasticity/#examples-neuroplasticity
(2)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/cognitive-functioning
(3)
www.biblegateway.com
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