Topic 4

The main part of our minds is the working memory, which is the area of our brains often referred to as the central processing area. It is where we gather all the information to make decisions and choices. Our minds gather data from our short-term and long-term memories and all current data from our senses. Past data from our senses will be in either our short-term or long-term memories. 

There should be filters or a list of special instructions on treating the data gathered into our working memories. I believe the filter or list of instructions is our belief system and is stored somewhere in our working memory. However, I must point out that not all scientists and scholars believe as I do. Our belief system is every bias and filter we have gathered. Biases are the things we are in favor of or those things we are not in favor of. Filters are the boundaries and parameters we are willing to live with. Boundaries are the limits and rules we set for ourselves within relationships. Also, boundaries determine what we find acceptable and unacceptable regarding how we allow others to treat us.  Parameters, also called mindsets, ”are a set of beliefs that shape how we make sense of the world and ourselves. Our mindset influences how we think, feel, and behave in any given situation.”

We need to learn to control and purposely guide our thinking towards efficiency. Training our minds is not going to be easy. A few people were purposely or inadvertently blessed with the training to control thinking at an early age. The rest of us need to learn these skills, too. You probably heard the old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”  That came about because it is exponentially more challenging to change a habit than to establish a new one. You may have been told to think like Jesus or have the mind of Christ. Have you ever heard of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)? Did anyone tell you HOW you do this, or did they just tell you to do it, or just told you how they did it?  We are all different and do things differently, and most of us do not know how to “just do it.” We need training on how to do things the way we do things.

I believe our heart could be our working memory and should be controlled by our spirit. The Biblical heart and the heart we refer to when expressing our love is not the organ that pumps blood in our bodies, although some people still believe this today. The animals do not have a belief system, even though they can be social. Babies are born with a temporary false belief system. Belief systems must be developed, or they will stay in a false state. Some scientists believe that we develop several belief systems, different ones for different aspects of our behavior. 

The Bible tells us that whatever is in our hearts is what will come out of our mouths. 

Matthew 12:34,  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Luke 6:45, A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

After making our decisions and choices, the instructions are sent to the areas of our brains that will execute those instructions. Therefore, what comes out of our mouths comes from our working memory.  Our working memory is, therefore, our heart.

Our working Memory can be controlled by any part of our binging: our bodies, mind, or spirit. Our bodies have reflexes and involuntary reactions that can control our working memory. Body functions like muscle memory and body habits also control our working memory. Our minds can also control our working memory when we react to reasoning and logic. Our intellectual minds can come up with all kinds of ways to control our working memory. However, our spirit should control our working memory, especially when communicating with God the Father through God the Son, with the guidance of God the Holy Spirit. We can choose to let the enemy control our actions, we can choose to let our sinful self control us, or we can choose to let the Holy Spirit guide us in all we do. When our spirit controls our working memory, God will protect our hearts and minds.  

Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Short-term memory and our working memory quickly displace old information.” How often have you said, “Now, what was I saying?” This is a big problem for most people, but even a bigger problem for people with disorders like ADHD. We need to train our minds to stay focused. 

Our minds, like our bodies, have variations of two modes: default (instinctual) and controlled (trained or deliberate). In the default mode, our minds wander from one thought to another without any purpose. We often call this “daydreaming” during our waking hours and dreaming when we are asleep because there is usually no control over our thoughts. One thought leads to another until you find something interesting and want to think about it further. People with disorders like ADHD have been trained or should be trained to control their daydreaming. In default mode, we could pick up some good habits, but we usually find ourselves with bad habits that need to be changed.

A very important fact that we all need to be reminded of is that the evil one is always trying to find ways to get us to stumble in our faith (belief system). I have been a born-again Christian for over 70 years. I have learned that no matter how strong my relationship with the Lord is, the enemy still manages to sneak in and try to mess up that relationship. I constantly ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the wedges the enemy has placed in my life. I often scold myself for falling for those old tricks of the enemy. I am consistently training my mind against the wiles of the devil. Jesus knew we needed to guard our minds against the deceiver long before we were born. 

Matthew 24:22-25, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.

        Philippians 4:7, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.