Heart Smart
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Prov. 4:23, NIV.
After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he begged for God’s mercy and pleaded, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10, NIV). Although we understand that David wasn’t requesting a literal pure heart, in modern terms he was asking God for a pure mind. As we read about the heart in the Bible, we find that typically the writers are referring to our thoughts and attitudes-our minds.
Neuropsychologists studying the mind and the brain have begun to understand that every action and thought we have exists only in the neurons and neurochemicals of our brains. Thoughts transfer through neurons and across synapses, forming pathways and networks intimately involved in everything we do, from recognizing a word or a sound to recalling what it means, where we have seen or heard it before, and how we might respond to it. Our brains store our memories and experiences, what we have learned, and what we have done. New neuronal connections and pathways that at first sent only rivulets of electrochemical signals can potentially become well-used rivers sending torrents of information.
What this meant for King David is still true for us today. Every act or thought, anything that we perceive, makes changes in the structure of our brains, however small, and over time those things we become most familiar with create stronger connections and well-traveled pathways in our brains. Knowing this, it is understandable that being “heart smart” involves careful consideration of the kinds of patterns we establish in our lives, as well as the experiences we involve ourselves and others in. As the old familiar words prompt us: “Finally, brothers, 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” (Phil. 4:8, NIV).
Lord, my prayer is that I will be “heart smart,” and that You will create in me a pure mind. Amen.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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