FACT: We’ve been extensively programmed since birth.
From infancy to adolescence, programming is essential—even though it’s never perfect since there is no such thing as the perfect environment or perfect parent. And because that programming isn’t perfect, it can cause problems. The good news is that we can rewire our brains despite harmful programming.
The process of childhood development involves maturing little by little, line upon line, until eventually, the responsibility of programming no longer lies with parents or teachers but with the individual. That’s when we begin exercising our agency, or our ability to choose. By the time we reach adulthood, we have or should have assumed control, although our brains will exhibit some resistance to change due to persistent and deeply engrained programming since infancy. Neuroscientist Travis D. Hahler maintains that our brains are designed to save energy. We’d be right if we said our brains are lazy and resist doing things differently.
So how do we reprogram our brains and create new neural pathways? Rewiring the brain requires repeating behavior that’s different from the current response, and that takes energy. The good news is that with repetition, the energy needed to implement the new behavior decreases, allowing the brain to think differently. As a result, new thoughts and feelings take hold. Reprogramming through intentional repetition enhances mental health, fosters emotional resilience, and creates a new reality for the psychologically evolved person, especially since neural pathways are strongly tied to emotions. Perhaps this is what the scriptures refer to as being “born again.”
“For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)
Imagine driving down a busy street at high speeds. Some cars pass you heading in the opposite direction while others drive alongside you at varying speeds. How do you safely navigate this situation? Simple. You know what to do because of the lines painted on the road and how you’ve always responded to them. It’s programmed into your brain because you’ve done it again and again. When you see a red light, you respond without giving it much thought. You do so because a neurological reflex tells you to put your foot on the brake. These neurological responses, or programs, allow you to travel safely and efficiently through life at a good clip.
Unfortunately, not all programmed behaviors bring order, efficiency, or safety. Some programmed behaviors cause disorder, frustration, depression, and harm. What can we do to replace unwanted neurological behaviors with healthy ones that allow us to travel through life peacefully, orderly, and safely?
It starts with recognizing that it’s a journey—a spiritual journey. As stated, we’ve been programmed since birth by imperfect circumstances and people. Even so, each of us is born with a specific purpose. A major part of that purpose involves a return to our heavenly home. Along our journey here on earth, the adversary will try to isolate us from others and God by any means possible—offense, feelings of inadequacy, the judgments of others, and a host of other things.
Next, we must ponder the scriptures, implementing spiritual teachings into our lives, but how? Here is where our God-given agency comes in. Our spirits are where we experience eternal aspirations, hopes, and dreams undergirded by faith and heartfelt desires. Our bodies are where we find our carnal thoughts, earthly urges, and destructive impulses. In this life, our spirits will either be masters over our bodies or the reverse. We choose. Our purpose here is to train our bodies; since the mind controls the body, we must learn to control the mind.
We must start slowly, one step at a time, line upon line. For example, if your stress response is anger, and you want to change that response, the next time you feel stressed, do something different, like count to ten. Close your eyes and breathe deeply until the feelings of stress subside. Calmly excuse yourself and step away. What matters is that you do something different.
When you succeed, don’t forget to congratulate yourself and recognize that your accomplishment has eternal significance and that Heavenly Father sees you. That’ll make it easier the next time you feel stressed. If you happen to fail, be patient with yourself and keep trying until you experience another success. Keep going, tackling one obstacle at a time.
Remember, impatience can be your undoing. Try looking at your fingernails the next time you’re impatient for a new neurological pathway or program to take hold. They look the same as yesterday, but you know they are growing. A child may ask you to mark their height on the wall with a pencil in the morning. After school, they may ask you to check their height to see how much they’ve grown. Their growth is indiscernible. However, you know with absolute certainty that they are growing. That’s how change or growth in the body works. It’s no different with the brain.
“But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept;
line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” – (Isaiah 28:10)
As outlined in the verse above, the Lord knows that change is slow. The body must learn to serve the spirit. It is a spiritual journey; to succeed, we must never lose hope. But where is the source of that hope?
Our Father in Heaven. He is never far from us. Only we separate ourselves from Him, never the reverse! He is always there, waiting—patiently. We must be patient while turning our lives over to Him. We must seek, trust, love Him, and have faith that He can perform the most incredible miracle—the sanctification, purification, and exaltation of our bodies and souls.
Never forget: we only fail when we give up. When we strive, we grow. Though it may be indiscernible now, we are becoming more mentally, spiritually, and emotionally resilient.
