How Our Bodies Shape Our Minds

The reason so many people are struggling these days is because the internet has led us to believe that the only thing that matters is our thoughts, our opinions.So, we stare at screens and consume content that interests us, and yet we’re not happier. Why is that?This is because a person isn’t just a brain on a stick. No, we are embodied creatures. That is, the Lord created us with bodies and minds, and though of course our thoughts can direct our bodies, it goes the other way, too: our bodies, or behavior, can shape our minds.This is why smiling even when you don’t feel like it can actually affect your mood and make you feel happier.Why does this matter?Because the habits and routines and rituals of our lives affect us spiritually.One of the things it means to be a disciple of Jesus, then, is to cultivate the physical practices that lead us to think like Him.This is a topic I’ve been thinking about for years, and it is fundamental to what I’m trying to do at Asbury.As we wrap up Exodus Part 1 and are about to begin Exodus Part 2, we are looking at one of those overlooked verses in Exodus that provides instructions for the keeping of the Passover, a passage that I think is actually REALLY important to our everyday lives today. (It’s the kind of thing we normally skip over when we read the Bible.)The bottom line: the Lord has made it clear that we need more than just the right ideas—we need the rituals and rhythms that help us *remember*, too.