Renew Your Mind: The Science Behind Transformation

I can’t help but smile when I read highly respected neuroscience and psychology publications speaking of neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to rewire and adapt—as if it were a fairly recent development. 

Often, these sources state that neuroplasticity was first introduced in the mid-1900s by Polish neuroscientist Jerry Konorski. One hundred years ago, scientists believed that the human brain was static and unchangeable. Now science seems to have caught up with the Word of God.

Science tells us that the brain can grow new connections and discard others that are detrimental. The Bible agrees. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” 

One of the crucial aspects of neuroplasticity is neural pruning. This term resonates well with those who enjoy gardening. Any neuron that isn’t active and wired into a meaningful network within the brain becomes extinguished and eventually pruned or eliminated.

We know that keeping muscles fit and strengthened requires committed work. The same concept holds true for your brain. Once the Spirit of God convicts us that certain thought processes are harmful to our spiritual growth, we make the conscious decision to eliminate them from our minds and hearts. New thoughts and convictions take their place, and the Creator God renews our thinking to grasp a heavenly sphere in place of the earthly. As Romans 8:5 states, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” 

Long before neuroscientific studies on the brain’s capacity to adapt and refocus, the great American poet Henry David Thoreau described the process through which one’s mind becomes “hardwired” or stuck in a rut. He used the metaphor of a path through the woods: “The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity!”

Now we know that within the brain, physical changes can happen when neurons grow new branches, called dendrites, to connect with each other. These new connections strengthen the communication between neurons, helping them work together more effectively toward a shared purpose.

Perhaps this is the ultimate definition of: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Let God’s creative power renew your soul!

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