My brain is not trustworthy. Left uncontrolled, it will wonder, and I will find myself way off course. The general belief used to be that our brain was fixed. We have what we have, and that is it. The brain doesn’t grow past a certain age and doesn’t change until we grow old, and it starts to deteriorate. These days we know better. The brain is very much able to adjust. We can change our minds, and by doing so, our brain changes.
Lately, I have been fascinated by this fact. I have read many books on the subject to better understand how I can change my thinking. Whether it be to eliminate shame or to implement a new healthy habit, everything takes me back to Romans 12:2, which says, “ Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
The pattern of this world is a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is not easily changed. I want a mindset of healing. Life is hard, and it brings with it pain. Pain makes my brain unreliable.
Considering thought… Nothing originates in the brain. Our brain is simply a catalog of experiences we often replay repeatedly. Those experiences color our view of the world and how we manage our existence in it. When we are young, we think we know it all, but as we get older, we realize how little we know. Through lived experience, we bump up against the limitations of our own experiences and how they differ from the rest of society.
The brain is not very objective. We allow thoughts to build through our minds, and when uncontrolled, they often lead to undesirable emotions. The mind can control the brain. This is contrary to what we are told by medical professionals who believe that every undesired emotion is linked to a chemical imbalance. While a chemical imbalance is likely happening behind the scenes, the lack of utilizing the mind to capture and control our thoughts leads to weakness. This is also explained in the Bible in 2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV: “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
We can destroy arguments and opinions, even if they occur in our minds. The action is that we must take these thoughts captive and redirect them. Whether you believe in God or not, this is fantastic advice.
Though my brain may be unreliable, I am training my mind not to be.