Mark Twain said “Life is just one darn thing after another!” How right he is, and he wasn’t even tuned in to MSN all day long like we are. Despite the ever presence of challenging circumstances, we don’t have to spend our days wound up and stressed out. We don’t have to allow our stinkin’ thinkin’ to rob us of our joy.
Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz is known for his extensive work in the field of neuroplasticity. He uses successful techniques to help people who suffer with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder deal with the intrusive and relentless thoughts that hold them captive. People who suffer from OCD can feel compelled to repeatedly wash their hands or check the door locks, and other troublesome behaviors that interfere with the functions of daily living. Dr. Schwartz refutes past research that our brain is fixed by the age of five, and it cannot be altered except by an injury or the use of medication. With four practical steps, he has seen amazing progress treating patients and proving we can actually reprogram ourselves. The steps are
- Relabel: We relabel our unwanted thoughts as false messages. We refuse to be tricked by our own thoughts.
- Reattribute: Instead of accepting those thoughts as true, we attribute them as the brain misfiring, or we consider that unwanted thought as a brain glitch. We examine where these false messages came from and challenge them.
- Refocus: We replace negative thoughts with positive ones, bad behavior with helpful patterns, destructive self-talk with empowering messages.
- Revalue: As we progress in this way, we form new neural pathways and begin to see old patterns as simple distractions to our goals of being healthy, empowered and whole.
In my years in the mental health field, we have often seen how current research validates what Scripture has shown us for two millennia. Dr. Schwartz’s research proves what we read in Romans that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our thoughts don’t have to dictate our actions. We can rule over our thoughts.
Here is the scriptural proof from the New Living Translation: Romans 12:1-2, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice— the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” The Lord can help us change the way we think. It may not be easy, but with determination, repetition, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can choose not to be controlled by our flawed perspectives. We can be transformed.
In my next post, I will offer a template to help with those pesky negative and intrusive thoughts.