𝔹𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥

Brain

Limbic system - regulates behaviors, emotions, motivation and plays a role in linking emotions to memories.

Amygdala-detects emotional stimuli, triggers flight-or-fight response, stores emotional memories.

Prefrontal cortex- controls and moderates emotional responses, engages in decision-making and planning.

Heart

Blood pumper and Co-Brain

The Bible never says, "For I know their limbic systems" or " I will soften your pre-frontal cortex" . Nope. It's all about the heart. Changing our heart is changing our minds simultaneously.

The brain needs the heart to pump blood to it to survive. The heart can still beat even when the brain is clinically " dead". A couple of years ago, scientists discovered a mini nervous system inside the heart, studying zebrafish which apparently have a heart very similar to ours. The study found that the heart can function independently of the brain, which is commonly observed also in humans and has its own electrical system. "The heart has long been thought to be controlled solely by the autonomic nervous system, which transmits signals from the brain. The heart’s neural network, which is embedded in the superficial layers of the heart wall, has been considered a simple structure that relays the signals from the brain. However, recent research suggests that it has a more advanced function than that." (Neuroscience, 2024).

So what does the Bible tell us about the heart and its importance in our spiritual connection to our Creator? Is there more to our hearts that the Bible has been saying all along?

Most of the Psalms ( songs) were written by King David, shepherd, giant slayer, king, military leader and chief musician. He has several psalms that were not sweet and not evoking images of angels on fluffy clouds playing harps. One of David's biggest 'heart' moments came when he defied his brain and charged Goliath on the battlefield. One of Abraham's biggest 'heart' moments happened when he defied his brain and prepared his son for sacrifice. Elijah's 'heart' moment came when he defied his brain and challenged the many prophets of Baal to a competition in whose God was real. We know how that ended... Fire consumed all of the water! Each time a man listened to his heart (God) instead of his brain, he was rewarded with the riches of God.

“Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.”(Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭161‬ ‭NKJV)‬. He doesn't say 'my mind stands in awe of Your word". Why is that?

The Holy Spirit was poured out on mankind after Jesus ascended- whether people actually believe it or not. So where does the Spirit of God I dwell us? How does God know, see, hear or change our hearts?

What if...

He actually dwells in our actual heart? The heart still beats after someone is declared "brain dead" so can that person hear through their heart (through the Spirit) when the brain ceases to function that way?

"They' say the hearing is the last sense to go in the phases of physical dying so what , or who, is actually hearing at that point? .

We have a unique nervous system that allows us to communicate with God,and we also have a spiritual relationship with Him that manifests in our physical being. A bird may see the sun setting and think, " time to find my roosting spot until I see the sun come up again" and we look at the same sunset at the same time and think, " Your glory is reflected in this sunset and I will thank You for life, and the beauty that You have created for us to revel in".

No-one ever says," his mind's not in it" but rather, " his heart's not in it". The heart does things that the mind cannot stop sometimes, and then the pre-frontal cortex leads the charge in the battle over who will reign supreme- Heart, or Logic? Logic is safer intellectually but Heart is rewarding covenantally, and fearfulness often decides the victor.

Discernment is a spiritual tool that identifies friend from foe and involves uncovering intent through the heart, not the mind as many would assume. This is because actions can be guided by the mind and true intentions can be masked. We never hear of 'heart games' because the mind games begin in the mind and operate independently of the heart.

“Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalms‬ ‭44‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV

Not the secret of the mind, but of the heart.

We use our mind to guard our heart when we make conscious decisions to create distance or closeness with someone else according to their wishes, which can lead to a 'heartbreak' if it's not according to our wishes. This is very common anymore in today's fickle society, where appearances are everything and pursuing happiness is replaced by pursuing the skewed standards of society. Sometimes we stand painfully in the light of the world instead of the Light of God, just like Peter, when he denied any association with Jesus after His arrest. He did not want to be persecuted like Jesus was, and he had to choose between the world and Jesus in that moment.

That was when his brain took over; the amygdala, limbic system and pre-frontal cortex combined forces to 'save him' from persecution. It was Peter who cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant, in his attempt to stop the arrest of Jesus. And Jesus restored Malchus' ear. And Peter was afraid when he heard of the resurrection because if it were true, Jesus would know of his denial of Him. But Jesus knew his heart, and sent Peter out with the rest to spread the Gospel and the rest is history.

So as you go about your day, just know that your heart is more than just a pumper of blood. It is your wellspring of life in our Creator, and it knows things that you don't know and while the enemy uses our mind to try to darken our heart, God uses our heart to enlighten our mind. There are some things 'only the heart knows'.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Amen.

❤️

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Neuroscience: Your Heart's Secret: It Has its Own Nervous System, Neuroscience News Today, December 4, 2024