There has been a growing belief within Christianity that started with the ‘power of positive thinking/word of faith’ movements that what a person repeatedly thinks about, and how they think about it, will determine who they are becoming, and it is quoted as neuroscience fact, which it is not. Neuroscience is a convergence of physics, biology, chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, pharmacology, and psychology, with the specific focus on the nervous system.
Within Neuroscience is a whole wing that has morphed into neuroscientism, which is a convergence of philosophy and mysticism that makes many claims but it has very little to say scientifically about most aspects of actual human consciousness, nor does it provide empirical data that helps in the clear understanding of the conditions that are sufficient and necessary for behavior and awareness.
Below are a couple of quotes that virtually convey the same belief about thoughts;
“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.”
“Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought.”
I can assure you Jesus didn’t say them, nor did any of the writers of the Bible. They were said by the eastern mystic, Gautama Buddha.
The Bible says the complete opposite; the human “heart”.. “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” it cannot be trusted (Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV). That is why the Born-Again Christian is implored to bring into captivity every thought to obey Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The word “heart” used in Jeremiah 17:9 is the Hebrew word 'leb' which is considered the center of everything, including thoughts, and is used figuratively and often for human feelings, the will, and even the intellect. The “heart” of fallen human beings is the place where sin comes from (Matthew 15:19-20; 7:21-23).
There is a widely held belief that “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV) means that human beings have the power to visualize and shape their reality and then manifest a new creation from the probabilities of their thoughts. Some even believe, under the erroneous guise of Quantum Physics, that they can mentally turn thoughts into physical matter in a given place and time and create their life experience physically, financially, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually. However, the Bible says the complete opposite.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)
In the original Hebrew, the verse is very different. It says, “for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.” (Proverbs 23:7-8 ESV)
The verse is actually saying that a mean, cheap and stingy person watches every mouthful of food his guest eats in bitter resentment as he counts what it is costing him. It is very clear that it has nothing to do with thoughts changing or shaping reality.
Jesus taught that the way a person physically treats another is how they will be treated, and not how they think about another will determine how they will be thought about (Matthew 7:12).
It is true that thoughts are very important because they can INFLUENCE and AFFECT reality (i.e., one’s health, attitude, behavior, success, or failure). They can also create the perceived SUBJECTIVE mental reality by how a person positively or negatively reacts to their surroundings or events. Still, they cannot create their own OBJECTIVE physical reality and control time and space, matter, or even people. That would make them co-equal with Jesus, which no human being is or ever could be.
As a child, I longed to fly like a bird. I loved the comic character Superman because he could fly and walk through solid walls. One day, in my youthful enthusiasm and expectation, I became absolutely convinced I could fly, so I wrapped one of my Moms’ skirts around my neck, climbed up on the roof of our house, and proceeded to 'fly' off of it because I truly believed without a shadow of a doubt I could! That did not work out too well as the law of gravity chose a different path for me - straight down onto the ground below!
Undeterred, I then decided to attempt to walk through a wall, just like Superman, by pushing my body against it and focusing my mind on getting me through. To my astonishment, that did not work, but I was so certain in my mind that I could, so I decided to make another attempt by running full speed down the hall and straight into the wall! Shortly after regaining consciousness, I decided that I was not going to try that again!
When I was older, I studied and learned how to fly (this time in an airplane!) and became a licensed pilot. I still cannot walk through walls, however! No matter how hard I tried, I could not use my positive mental attitude and expectations to manifest into the physical universe. If thoughts or expectations could create reality, then I should have been able to fly off the roof or pass through the solid wall, and there also would not be any surprises in my life.
A person that perceives they are a bird doesn’t change the reality that they are biologically human. In the same way, a person who perceives they are a ‘good Christian’ doesn’t make them Born-Again. That is something only God can do. Human beings do not have the mental power to physically or spiritually change things through their own thoughts.
Human thought is the action or process of mental activity or thinking, which includes reasoning, imagination, contemplation, meditation, intention, consideration, or reflection. Thoughts are not "made of" anything because they are abstract, non-concrete things that occur and are stored in the brain. The Greek word for thought is 'logizomai' and comes from a word that means to take an inventory, to consider or estimate either literally or figuratively.
Science has not found any correlation between one thought and a particular set of cells. Thoughts are considered a process of the brain and are based on electrochemical reactions of signals interacting with neurons within it. Science has yet to provide a complete physical theory on the experience of thoughts and where they come from.
Everything a person perceives in the physical world has its origin in the invisible, inner world of thoughts and beliefs. Human perception is linked to stimuli. Thoughts are not tied to stimuli. However, they do allow the brain to picture things that are not perceptible.
Thoughts are very important and can influence and affect reality (i.e., one’s health, attitude, behavior, success or failure). It is clear through the findings of the burgeoning science of Epigenetics that the human brain is influenced by thoughts, and the body can be affected by how a person thinks. However, the main focus of Epigenetics is the study of gene expression and how various environmental and lifestyle factors can alter behavior without actually changing a person’s genetic makeup.
The epigenome is a vibrant system that determines whether genes are in an active or inactive state. Genes can be turned off and on throughout life through both internal (physiological) and external influences, which include environmental, psychological, and spiritual. Research has begun to show that dysregulation of the epigenetic process can lead to disease through various processes that can determine whether a gene is turned off and stays silent or turned on and becomes active.
Future research on epigenetic changes may improve the understanding of how nurture could alter nature, as well as how the impact of social interaction and various environmental stressors can cause chemical signals that change the expression of genes in the brain as well as in other organs of the body.
At the center of Darwinian Theory (which is not mentioned these days as it contradicts modern Gender theory of boys can be girls, etc) is the belief that evolutionary change takes place over millions of years of natural selection. The mounting evidence accumulated by Epigenetic research has resulted in rethinking Darwinian Theory by suggesting that human characteristics are 'memorized' by the cells and transmitted between individual generations and not through evolution.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:5-6 ESV)
The Greek verb used for “take every thought into captivity” is ‘aichmalotízo' and means 'to make captive: – lead away captive, bring into captivity' which is in the Present Active Participle form of the verb. The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. The active voice represents the subject as the doer or performer of the action.
The subconscious mind is in control at all times and is always trying to create a reality that old nature wants. This is why the Born-Again Christian should take daily a spiritual inventory of their life and pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24 ESV).
Christians are commanded to walk in humility and “not THINK”… “highly” of themselves and use “sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith” that God gave them (Romans 12:3-4 NIV - emphasis mine).
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:6-9 NIV)
The word “mind” is the Greek word 'phronema' which means mental activity. Thoughts alone do not create actual reality, but they do affect it and how one sees and reacts to it. The thoughts that emanate from the old sinful nature can be transformed when a person becomes Born-Again because they receive “the mind of Christ” and not because what/how they repeatedly think will determine who they become. The spirit, mind, and body of the Born-Again Christian is the Holy of Holies, God’s dwelling place (1 Corinthians 2:16, 6:19 NIV)
What we repeatedly think about and how we think simply does not determine who we are becoming. That is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to change us from within, including our thoughts, so that we will do His will and work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
We are implored to continuously control and reprogram our dominant and habitual thoughts, which originate from the old sinful nature, by thinking about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and what is worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV). Doing this will help to build spiritual ‘muscle memory’ and reprogram thought patterns through the daily study of God’s Word, which will reduce the effects of the old nature.
