Changing Our Brains

Newsweek Magazine for this week (Feb 27-March 5) includes an article on "The Science of Feelings" that I find fascinating.  In the article, the researchers find that feelings -- long thought to be a function of personality -- are more linked to certain brain activities in cognition, reason, and logic than we ever imagined before.

The reason I find this finding interesting is that science is also discovering that "happy" people are more successful in every area of life.  If "happiness" is something within our control through cognition, reason, and logic, then truly, our success lies within our minds.  Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be." 

A recent book entitled How God Changes Your Brain presents one study after another of how prayer, reflection, reading, and meditation actually -- physically -- changes the structure/ anatomy of the brain-map.  Now that science has the capacity to actually "see" brain structures, it can see that the brain-maps of London taxi-drivers are significantly different from those of violinists.  In other words, what we "study," or concentrate on, or focus on for significant periods of time actually changes our brains in ways that can be seen.  And if what we study changes our brains, then it will also change our feelings.

2 Timothy 7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, of power, and of a sound mind.  So how is it that fear, anxiety, helplessness, lack of control is driven out and replaced with "love, power, and sound mind"?  I believe that God has provided Scripture not only so that we do not have to guess how and what He thinks, but also so that we can be "cleansed through washing with the water of the Word" (Ephesians 5:26). 

As we learn to focus, study, pay attention to the Word of God -- the words of God, as given to us in Scripture-- we actually change our brains.  Psalm 23 says that the Lord makes me to "lie down in green pastures, leads me beside quiet waters, and restores my soul."  I can think of no better image to describe what happens to someone who reads the Bible on a daily basis.  Psalm 1 describes the one who "meditates day and night" on the law of the Lord like a "tree planted by streams of water, whose leaf does not wither."

How is it that there is so much similarity in the brains or thoughts of those who read Scripture?  I am not talking about those who argue and debate the meaning of Scripture -- I am talking about the simple folk who allow the Word to wash over them in prayer every day.  With them, you find a striking similarity of experience.  Philippians 4 says this:  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...and the God of peace will be with you.

If these are the things we think about, our brain-maps change in response.  As as we think about the words of Scripture, they wash over us, cleansing us from all "unrighteousness,"  replacing "ashes" with a "crown of beauty," the "oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair"  (Is. 61:3).

The Lord says, I have put my words in your mouth/ and covered you with the shadow of my hand (Is. 51:16).   What more do we need to be "happy"?  But first, we must "open wide our mouths and eat" the scroll of the Lord (Ez 2-3).  Only then will we know the thoughts of God; only then will our brain-maps change to reflect those thoughts; and then our feelings will follow and fear flee from us.