Psychology According to the Bible #1

Preface: I believe that the Bible has keys to so many things that are researched only in labs. I've recently become intrigued by the brain, and so I am now going to post my findings as the Bible teaches me about brain functions.

When Jesus gave us the command to forgive seventy times seven, it was because He understood how our brains work. We can't forget things that have happened or emotions we've felt, but by choosing how we think when those thoughts arise, we can manipulate these memories to be no longer painful, no longer causing anger or bitterness. Obviously this doesn't happen overnight and that's why He tells us to forgive over and over. Eventually the hurt will be replaced by the feelings we've trained ourselves to dwell on.

There have also been studies on genetics that link higher incidence of dopamine with more forgiving people, and higher incidence of dopamine-clearing proteins with anger. Thus, if we can train ourselves to forgive (over and over), thereby enforcing release of dopamine (over and over), we set ourselves up to be overall happier people and to have happy feelings instead of sad feelings.  Common sense, right? That someone who forgives would be happier? Well now there just may be brain chemistry to back it up.

Study I referred to: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18063308.