In a recent interview with CBN, neurosurgeon Dr. Lee Warren explained how embracing the Christian faith can help improve a person’s mental health struggles.

He was being interviewed in conjunction with the release of his book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life.

Warren faced his own mental health challenges when he experienced Post Traumatic Stress after serving at a US military field hospital in Iraq, which was under repeated bombardment. He also performed upward of 200 brain surgeries and saw firsthand the mental health difficulties people can experience.

Then in 2013, Warren’s son was killed, which led him to a 12-year study on “how to recover myself and my family after that devastating tragedy.”

In the interview he explained that if we persistently think negatively, our brain develops neural paths, making it easier to continue down that road.

“So if you’ve always been anxious or afraid, or you’ve gone through something hard that’s made you more depressed, your brain will just keep recreating synapses, connections, that will reinforce that same thought process,” Dr. Warren told CBN.

But we can change this through a process called neuroplasticity, where we change our thought patterns.

Dr. Warren cited 2 Corinthians 10:5, where Paul encourages us to take every thought captive.

“The truth is as soon as you’re ready to change what you think about, your brain is ready to change,” Warren said. “You’re designed to heal, and there’s tremendous hope in that.”

One verse that has always caught my attention is Romans 12:2, where Paul writes that we are “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

When we become a Christian, we are saved, but this doesn’t immediately change us. That takes place through the “renewing” of our mind, literally changing the way we think.

But being saved is the critical first step. Once we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is able to reside inside us. This empowerment enables God to change us from within.

One of the Holy Spirit’s goals is to change our thinking patterns.

I remember a while back, I was driving my car when I made a mistake that could have resulted in a serious accident. Fortunately, it didn’t.

But I couldn’t believe how stupid I was and immediately began mentally kicking myself. I was getting depressed and heading down a very negative path.

But then the Holy Spirit popped a strange thought into my mind. Instead of beating myself up, I should be thankful that I didn’t cause an accident and nobody was hurt.

So that is what I did. I began thanking God, both mentally and verbally, through prayer.

When I did this, I was struck by how quickly that ended my negative downward spiral.

It gave me a new appreciation for what Paul wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

We have a choice.

We can allow our circumstances to consume us, dwelling on the negativity and spiraling into depression and worry.

Or we can find something to be thankful for in the midst of the negativity and transform and renew our mind.