The Gospel and Brain Development

I recently ran across another clear example of how secular science confirms what we know as Christians to be most beneficial to our teens as they navigate the difficult years of adolescence. Researchers at the University of Southern California have been looking how a teenager’s thinking influences their brain development, for better or for worse. Using interviews, functional mri’s, and ongoing surveys, researchers found that teenagers who engaged in what they called transcendent thinking showed more brain development and greater amounts of happiness over time. Transcendent thinking is the thinking that is done which moves beyond the moment and the immediate context to think about the bigger story of life. When I read the report, I couldn’t help but think about the impact that thinking about the bigger story of the bible is the kind of transcendent thinking that not only encourages healthy brain development, but transforms our kids lives! Preach the gospel to your kids!