How to Improve Your Memory
Many grow up thinking the number of brain cells at birth was the most we’d ever have. Following that concept it leaves us addled and confused onto the steps of the financially ruinous nursing home.
While it’s true that cognitive function does slowly decline over time, there are steps you can take to help maintain a strong, healthy brain as you age.
We grow brain cells all the time. We completely rebuild—and quickly—the cells we have. We’re basically involved in a continuous remake.
Our brain is a series of circuits and pathways, and every time we do, think, or experience something, we fire a pathway. If a certain pathway fires enough times, in the right way, our brain will reinforce that circuit so we can fire it more quickly and accurately. Neuroscientists say, “what fires together, wires together.”
Perhaps you have heard that your brain is like a muscle. It’s a cliche, but it relates to four key points of learning, backed by good science:
1. To make a change we need action. Make a decision to exercise your brain and do it.
2. To make a change we need to struggle. Extend yourself and expect to struggle.
3. Making a change takes time. You wouldn’t go to the gym and do exercises to build your biceps and standing before a mirror the next day conclude they are no larger and quit.
4. Everyone can change. Believe it. These four steps can work even for you.
We need to deploy the same approach to learning and develop . So many times we try something once or twice, we don’t see results immediately. and go, “I guess I can’t learn that.” Yes you can.
One of the best known ways to grow new brain cells and improve your memory is to memorize Scripture. It might be very hard for you at first, but expect to struggle. As you stick with it you will realize it is working and even enables you to memorize more easily. Don’t let the struggle stop you, persist. It takes time to hide His word in your heart. The residual benefits are that we improve our mind, and hence our lifestyle.
Two principles need to coexist:
* A growth mindset = I believe I can grow, and
* Neuroplasticity = you can grow.
The growth is both mentally and spiritually by memorizing Scripture.
In doing so you will not only learn Scripture, but you will develop new brain cells that can be used to become more proficient in other mental activities.
“Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2: 15).
To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part Five
Romans 7: 22 – 25
The brain is sophisticated and complex. Here is an elemental insight. Negative thoughts produce certain chemicals in the brain. Positive thoughts produce other chemicals. In turn these chemicals tend to attract thoughts that produce them. Therefore, if you have been thinking negatively you have a negative chemical flow. This causes more negative thoughts. If you have been thinking positively you have a positive chemical flow and will tend to continue to think positively. You have a preset mindset.
The matter of doing the right and not doing the wrong comes down to mind over matter as noted in Romans 7: 25, “So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, and with the flesh the law of sin.”
It is a matter of mind over matter and the mind only prevails if it is under the control of Jesus Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Is this a time when our Lord would have you reset your mindset? It takes conscious practice. Start with these. Resolve:
Without stopping to appreciate what you have you tend to devalue it. All of us have things for which to be grateful.
Our text says “I delight in the law of God” (Romans 7: 22). Learn to get pleasure from God’s way of seeing things.
The text also says, “I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7: 25).
If you consider every activity a positive adventure it takes on new meaning and inspires others.
Pre-program your mind on the Word of God. This can enable the development of a Biblical worldview.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Many need a renewed mind. The good news is you can have you and the Lord working together. You can be confident the Lord will do His part in the renovation. There awaits, therefore only your will.
Getting the right chemicals to start flowing takes a will to do it. The Lord will not superimpose on your will, BUT He will impose on your will His will. Your response determines if the floodgates of renewal will open wide and allow His incoming influences.
As hard as it is to change on the outside, it seems infinitely harder to change on the inside. If there is anything we know about human nature, it is that people change slowly, if they change at all. Think about the struggles of your own life. What would you change about yourself on the inside if you could? Make a list of changes in your life you would like to make. What spiritual resources do you desire to make changes you know need to be made? Ask the Lord for His help by aiding your will in achieving them.
Take time in making the list and then review as to what you must do as your part to develop the new spiritual you.
To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part Four
Romans 7: 22 – 25
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119: 11).
Scripture is spoken of using various terms.
* “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul…”
The term “law” used here doesn’t simply mean the legislation of the Lord, it means the revelation of the Lord is perfect. That means God’s Word is complete and therefore best for us.
The Anglican Thirty-ninth Article says, “God has given us everything in His word necessary for salvation.”
If you want to do what is right regarding salvation obey His Word.
* “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple…”
Whatever God testifies to is reliable. You can go to the bank with it.
It makes “wise the simple.” The word translated “simple” as used in this text means a person who is open minded to instruction.
Psalm 119: 130 notes the Scripture “gives understanding to the simple.’
* “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart…”
“Statutes” means His prescriptions. They bring joy.
* “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes…”
If life is viewed through the commandment of the Lord you have the best perspective and fullest understanding of it.
* “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever…”
Why does he speak of “fear?” For the same reason teens speak of something as “awesome.” It is overwhelming, mind boggling.
Also, because as sinners we know we aren’t clean and He is.
* “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether….”
In American courts of law, the world’s best, many innocent people have been convicted and many guilty persons not convicted. God makes no error of judgment. None.
What He rules out we should rule out.
What He affirms we should affirm.
To develop a Biblical worldview you have to view the world through the Bible. Too many of us are like the report given by Brit Hume, ABC White House correspondent, on a former President’s trip to South Korea: “He was the very picture of an engaged commander-in-chief standing with his men on an outpost watchtower to gaze at the enemy territory just across the way. Whoops!” he said, “those field glasses do work better with the lens cap off.”
Preset your mind set. All of us do without realizing it. Most often it is done unconsciously. For example, are you an optimist or a pessimist? How did you get that way? Likely you evolved into it.
To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part Three
Romans 7: 22 – 25
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119: 11).
She was lovely, successful, and brimming with promise. This was her senior year in high school. She was active in her church youth group. A straight “A” student, she was a cheerleader, and homecoming queen. Life was good.
She sat in my office with tears streaming down her cheeks and choked out the story of her pregnancy. Then she said, “I don’t know why I did it?”
I said, “I know why you did it?”
With a flash of fire in her eyes and anger in her voice she snapped, “Why?”
“You did it,” I said, “because a long time before you did it you made up your mind to do it by the music to which you listened, the movies and TV you viewed, and the conversation of friends to which you listened.”
She dropped her head and nodded gently as she said, “You are right.”
Preempt improper programming. Get it out of your life if you don’t want it in your life. Get it out of your cranium before it gets in your conduct.
Some TV sets have the capacity of having a channel preset so it comes on automatically. It’s preferred. This must be true of our minds. Preset your mind on proper programming.
Some people have an immature concept of prayer as being like a child asking a divine Santa Claus for things. We are to ask Him to supply our every need, but prayer is more. We need to grow out of the stage of making prayer a matter of “give me,” into a deeper level of “Lord, make me.”
Preset your mind on Scripture.
We often wait until a crisis or a major problem and then want a verse of Scripture that will make life simple. Don’t wait.
That is exactly what we often do, however, spiritually. We wait until there is a problem or a crisis and start looking for a verse of Scripture to use. Memorize it in advance. That is equivalent to loading your gun before it’s too late. By memorizing it in advance you can simply apply it preventively and do what you should or not do what you shouldn’t do.
The brain is sophisticated and complex. Here is an elemental insight. Negative thoughts produce certain chemicals in the brain. Positive thoughts produce other chemicals. In turn these chemicals tend to attract thoughts that produce them. Therefore, if you have been thinking negatively you have a negative chemical flow. This causes more negative thoughts. If you have been thinking positively you have a positive chemical flow and will tend to continue to think positively. You have a preset mindset.
The matter of doing the right and not doing the wrong comes down to mind over matter as noted in Romans 7: 25, “So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, and with the flesh the law of sin.”
It is a matter of mind over matter and the mind only prevails if it is under the control of Jesus Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part Two
Romans 7: 22 – 25
Improper thoughts are illustrated as being two strong fortresses. These fortified positions crumble before the weapons of the Spirit.
They are spoken of as “arguments” and “high thing(s).”
“Arguments” refers to intellectual pretension or human conceit. It is a deceptive fantasy.
The expression “high thing” refers to improper pride.
In summary the two refer to any barrier of pride that is erected against the knowledge of God.
Then follows the appeal to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” The New English Bible translates this, “we compel every human thought to surrender in obedience to Christ.”
That great theologian Barney Fife: “I don’t have time to deal with those trivial trivialities.” Neither do we.
Therefore, when you have a deceptive fantasy or improper pride rethink the subject and superimpose a thought you are confident Jesus would have if thinking on the subject. That is what is meant by bringing our thoughts into captivity.
We do well to memorize and practice Psalm 19: 12 – 14:
“Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”
Preempt improper programming.
Chris Craft, former head of our space program, was asked, “When is the best time to make a decision?”
His answer is classic: “Before you have to.”
In reality that is when we make most of our decisions. He continued to explain that before every space flight it is programmed in detail with every possible alternative considered. In that way if something goes wrong they don’t have to try to figure out what to do under the pressure and emotion of the moment. That is true in the spiritual realm also.
An aid in guarding the mind is to guard your eye. Resolutely affirm with the psalmist “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes…” (Psalm 101: 3). The eye is a primary portal to the mind. What you view determines your view of things. Technology makes it easy to access catalysts for carnality.
Not only avoid the negative, search for wholesome material that encourages Jesus, pleasing action.
Establish a Bible study and Bible memorization program that you may have in store at the fountain head of your heart Jesus’ pleasing principles as a result of being able to say “thy word have I hidden in my heart.”