This blog is about the essential relationship between faith and executive functioning. The best place to start, as always, is the Bible.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."(Hebrews 11;1 NIV)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned (Romans 12:3 NIV)
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16 NIV)
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith (Hebrews 11:17 NIV)
Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:3 NIV) So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:17 NIV)
And now, let us drift in the nerdy direction, which as you know is my way, and discuss definitions of executive functioning
This was published in a psychology journal by renowned scholar Adele Diamond, PhD, FRSC, who is Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4084861/
“Executive functions (EFs) make possible mentally playing with ideas; taking the time to think before acting; meeting novel, unanticipated challenges; resisting temptations; and staying focused. Core EFs are inhibition [response inhibition (self-control—resisting temptations and resisting acting impulsively) and interference control (selective attention and cognitive inhibition)], working memory, and cognitive flexibility (including creatively thinking “outside the box,” seeing anything from different perspectives, and quickly and flexibly adapting to changed circumstances).”
My proposition is that faith can be a crucial aspect of executive functioning. These seem disparate: one is the province of religion and the other of science. Once again, an unnecessary struggle and both are important in our lives and success. Those with faith who think science is usually a negative force are wrong as those in science whose fondest wish is to eliminate Christianity.
I will first discuss the Bible quotes at the beginning of this blog. There are, of course, many Bible quotes about faith but the ones chosen here are germane to a discussion of executive functioning.
The first quote is the most direct and eloquent-
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11;1 NIV)
Any goal is, by definition, not currently present. Also, by definition, it may not come to pass. But the first step of any plan is to believe that it can be achieved. Unfortunately, many children surrounded by crime and despair may not think they will live past their 20’s. Many children traumatized by school shooters may also think of life as so uncertain. There is among many a kind of cult of glamour of “dying young” as noted in how those in the popular arts who die young from a drug overdose or violence are turned into even bigger celebrities after their death. They lived life to the fullest and then die a romanticized death.
Nihilism is defined by Meriam Webster Dictionary as the following: a) a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded, and that existence is senseless and useless; b) a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially of moral truths; and c) a doctrine or belief that conditions in the social organization are so bad as to make destruction desirable for its own sake independent of any constructive program or possibility.
In all of these variations, it adds up to “No use in trying because all will be for naught” In the third definition, things are so bad that it better every thing be destroyed because there is no hope that the situation can possibly improve.
If a child thinks that they will probably not live past 25 (as unfortunately some even very young children do), then WHY work hard in school. Why work toward delayed gratification for a getter good down the road if there is no possibility of a getter good down the road? “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry for tomorrow we may die” is a distortion of meaning from quotes in the Bible which talked about it as a wicked selfish lifestyle, which too often in modern culture is celebrated as the way one should live.
Thus, my point is that executive functioning is about the future and faith is the first step before can plan anything because if it not possible why believe it to be so, why work so hard to achieve. Faith is the crucial initial step. It is an emotion, a feeling. Contrary to popular Western thought emotion and reason are not necessarily in conflict. I teach behavior neurology at the university level. The brain can do amazing things, but it needs direction, and we pick the direction our brain does by our emotional needs. This can go both ways. One can get great joy in helping people with disabilities and thus direct your brain to do the necessary steps to get though the necessary education and training to become a therapist. Or, with evil emotion in your heart and hatred, you can direct your brain to meticulously plan out over time a shooting mass murder. The planning parts of your brain responsible for executive functioning will take whatever direction you give them. The regions of the brain that are believed to control executive functioning are not our moral compass. Now, we can use our pre-frontal lobe of our brain to tell us to not steal, but not because it is wrong, but we have a high likelihood of getting caught. We can try to do all the “right” things in a contractual relationship with God to get to heaven but again you are not being moral, only trying to avoid punishment. The flaw in this type of inhibition is that it only works if we think there will be a direct negative consequence because of it. This trait is not bad, it is why we have laws and punishment. However, as Jesus stated, and Paul eloquently also wrote following “The Law” is not sufficient for a true relationship with God. The other flaw is that if something is not specifically written down not to do, then the person would do it if in their own selfish interests. We must use our faith for direction for the good of ourselves and others.
Nihilism is the opposite of faith. It is the province of Satan because belief in nihilism leads one to not put the effort forth to live productive and helpful to others lives, because only a fool would do so since nothing really matters and there is no future or hope.
The next three quotes are:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
These are about moving ahead even if road ahead is not certain. This strong faith can guide one through the challenges of any executive plan and function. Being a Christian does not protect you from struggle and failures, tragedy and sorrow. But it does help you navigate these to keep moving productivity in your life, to not freeze or stand still in the face of adversity. The next quote is:
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned (Romans 12:3 NIV)
Anyone can have an unrealistic plan which may be because of one’s own ego. Faith does not say that you can do anything you put your mind to do. We all have our own strengths and limitations, our spiritual gifts. The successful person knows the difference. People often look at people considered successful and think they just have all the luck, the right genes, the right family background, the right connections. Now, these characteristics can help with some aspects of success but usually that person is just very attuned about their strengths and worked hard to fully exploit them. Thus, your executive functioning will constantly be stressed and fail because you have picked the wrong plan. Often people who seem to constantly fail constantly try the things not best suited for them. Suppose you are brought up in a home that values sports and you are good at classical music. You do not pursue the classical music but keep trying to get on sports teams and to succeed. You will think yourself a failure. There is a quote, debated greatly on who said it, “But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Nothing is more devasting that picking the wrong plan to begin with. Or not changing the plan when the circumstances change. Now, this depends upon the source of interference with successful completion of a plan. If it is because one’s parents or one’s environment says you are a failure at whatever you do, then you could very well set a goal which is “unrealistic” according to your distractors. Satan likes to throw doubt toward what you can achieve. However, if introspect into your inherent strengths and limitations you can decide what is reasonable to try and what is not.
Good executive functioning means knowing your limitations and getting others to help you with your plans. Throughout the Bible, it tells of dedicated focused teams of different skills and temperaments being able to achieve great things. As Christians, we need to bond together to even stay focused as Christians. Satan likes for us in all our endeavors to “go it alone” just as a predator likes the prey who has strayed from the pack, easier to pick us off alone.
The next verse is about perseverance against those who wish to destroy or distract you.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16 NIV)
Who does not want you to succeed, to be happy? Satan. The first quote is part of the well- known “Armor of God” passages in Ephesians. It is a series of verses about how we have to actively fight evil, or it will consume us. It will also sow doubt which will impair effective executive functioning. This verse acknowledges that your faith in your plan will be tested, sometimes significantly. If give up on a plan at the first sign of trouble, you will never accomplish anything of great worth.
The last three quotes are about the faith and planning
Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:3 NIV)
So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:17)
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith (Hebrews 11:17 NIV)
God does not just give us what we want. He expects us to put some work into it. It is like the joke of the man who prayed to win the lottery his entire life. He dies and goes to heaven and the first question he asks is why if he was such a devout person why God never granted him his wish to win the lottery. God answers “You never bought a lottery ticket.” Faith should result in works, not because the works save us, but because faith should have some concrete behavior associated with it. In the third quote, I give one of many in the Bible where the task given is a daunting one, one with many steps, that will take an extended period. In this case, it is the ark. Talk about a task which needed executive functioning to complete! There are many other examples in both the Old and New Testaments, such as Nehemiah rebuilding the temple, which required mastery in all the areas of executive functioning.
This next passage pairs faith and constructive wise executive functioning better than I could possibly paraphrase. It is from the website- Got Questions
- https://www.gotquestions.org/wise-serpents-harmless-doves.html
“In sending out the Twelve, Jesus said to them, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16, KJV). The NIV says, “shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Jesus was using similes (figures of speech that compare two unlike things) to instruct His disciples in how to behave in their ministry. Just before He tells them to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, He warns them that they were being sent out “like sheep among wolves.”
The world, then as now, was hostile to believers—not incidentally hostile, but purposefully hostile. Wolves are intentional about the harm they inflict upon sheep. In such an environment, the question becomes: “How can we advance the kingdom of God effectively without becoming predatory ourselves?” Jesus taught His followers that, to be Christlike in a godless world, they must combine the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove.
In using these similes, Jesus invokes the common proverbial view of serpents and doves. The serpent was “subtle” or “crafty” or “shrewd” in Genesis 3:1. The dove, on the other hand, was thought of as innocent and harmless—doves were listed among the “clean animals” and were used for sacrifices (Leviticus 14:22). To this very day, doves are used as symbols of peace, and snakes are thought of as “sneaky.”
Most people don’t mind having their character compared to a dove’s purity and innocence. But some people recoil at the image of a serpent, no matter what the context. They can never see a snake in a good light, even when used by Jesus as a teaching tool. But we should not make too much of the simile.
We cannot attach the evil actions of Satan (as the serpent) with the serpent itself. Animals are not moral entities. The creature itself cannot perform sin, and shrewdness is an asset, not a defect. This is the quality that Jesus told His disciples to model.
The serpent simile stands in Jesus’ dialogue without bringing forward any of the serpent’s pejoratives. It is a basic understanding in language that, when a speaker creates a simile, he is not necessarily invoking the entire potential of the words he has chosen—nor is he invoking the entire history and tenor of the linguistic vehicle. Rather, the speaker is defining a fresh relationship between the two things. A quick look at Matthew 10:16 shows that Jesus was invoking only the positive aspects of the serpent. There is no hint of His unloading Edenic baggage upon His disciples. He simply tells them to be wise (and innocent) as they represented Him.
When Jesus told the Twelve to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves, He laid down a general principle about the technique of kingdom work. As we take the gospel to a hostile world, we must be wise (avoiding the snares set for us), and we must be innocent (serving the Lord blamelessly). Jesus was not suggesting that we stoop to deception but that we should model some of the serpent’s famous shrewdness in a positive way. Wisdom does not equal dishonesty, and innocence does not equal gullibility.
Let us consider Jesus as exemplar: the Lord was known as a gentle person. Indeed, Scripture testifies that He would not even quench a smoking flax (Matthew 12:20). But was He always (and only) gentle? No. When the occasion demanded it, He took whip in hand and chased the moneychangers out of the temple (John 2:15). Jesus’ extraordinarily rare action, seen in light of His usual mien, demonstrates the power of using a combination of tools. This “dove-like” Man of Innocence spoke loudly and clearly with His assertiveness in the temple.
In His more typical moments, Jesus showed that He was as wise as a serpent in the way He taught. He knew enough to discern the differences in His audiences (a critical skill), He used the story-telling technique to both feed and weed (Matthew 13:10–13), and He refused to be caught in the many traps that His enemies laid for Him (Mark 8:11; 10:2; 12:13).
Jesus showed that He was as harmless as a dove in every circumstance. He lived a pure and holy life (Hebrews 4:15), He acted in compassion (Matthew 9:36), and He challenged anyone to find fault in Him (John 8:46; 18:23). Three times, Pilate judged Jesus to be an innocent man (John 18:38; 19:4, 6).
The apostle Paul also modeled the “wise as serpents, harmless as doves” technique. Paul lived in dove- like innocence in good conscience before God (Acts 23:1) and learned to deny his carnal desires so as not to jeopardize his ministry (1 Corinthians 9:27). But Paul also displayed serpent-like shrewdness when he needed it. He knew his legal rights and used the legal system to his advantage (Acts 16:37; 22:25; 25:11). He also carefully crafted his speeches to maximize the impact on his audience (Acts 17:22–23; 23:6–8).
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus taught us how to optimize our gospel-spreading opportunities. Successful Christian living requires that we strike the optimal balance between the dove and the serpent. We should strive to be gentle without being pushovers, and we must be sacrificial without being taken advantage of. We are aware of the unscrupulous tactics used by the enemy, but we take the high road. Peter admonishes us, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us” (1 Peter 2:12).”
Now I want to deconstruct the definition I gave you earlier in this blog of executive functioning.
“Executive functions (EFs) make possible mentally playing with ideas; taking the time to think before acting; meeting novel, unanticipated challenges; resisting temptations; and staying focused. Core EFs are inhibition [response inhibition (self-control—resisting temptations and resisting acting impulsively) and interference control (selective attention and cognitive inhibition)], working memory, and cognitive flexibility (including creatively thinking “outside the box,” seeing anything from different perspectives, and quickly and flexibly adapting to changed circumstances).”
Note some key phrases “think before acting,” “meeting novel unanticipated challenges,” “resisting temptations” “response inhibition,” “selective attention” “thinking outside the box” I propose that the Bible verses I listed above and many more that I did not list facilitate these key aspects of executive functioning. Note more than one time in this definition that “resisting” is used, which I state is resisting that who would try to ruin your plans. It is a struggle to stay focused, and if lacking successful executive functioning is not possible. Scholars in executive functioning know that it is not just a matter of making a good plan but adapting when challenges occur, that temptation derail any plan.
Throughout the Bible, God challenges people to do actions which require considerable executive function. He knows they will be hard which is why He is with us to help us complete our goals. One way of getting not just the faith but the specific actions throughout a process is to pray. The brain may complete the goal, with all its steps and missteps, but it is God who is putting the positive goal in our mind and sustaining us. A computer can do many things better than a human brain, but it has no inherent goals or aspirations. The biggest danger of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not that the computer will turn “evil” but that evil people will use it for harm and destruction.
I believe that there is no more radical “thinking outside the box” than truly living the life of a Christian. It is certainly not the norm, not what everyone else is doing OR even trying to do. The “box” is our ordinary sinful selves. “Box” is a good word for it because it traps you, does not allow you to see beyond it. It tries to convince you that there is nothing beyond your immediate senses. That this is all there is to life. Now, at this point, the dedicated secularist will state but Christianity is the norm and that is the cause of the world’s problems. We secularists are the only ones thinking outside the box that Christianity forces people into by culture. Everyone is a Christian and the secularists are the true revolutionaries trying to make the world better. Now, if asked on a survey more Americans state their religion as one of the many dominations of Christianity so might seem that it is commonplace. Not true, because so many of these people are not living in the light of Christ. As is said, just attending church no more makes you a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car. Throughout the Bible, it warns of false prophets, and they still exist today. Interestingly, secularists often highlight or promote such bad examples of Christianity to make their point against Christianity. For many Christians they fall for the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality and sometimes flock to false prophets simply because those against Christianity attack them. The “enemy of my enemy” can be as much an evil as the actual perceived secular enemy.
Christ’s thinking was so far “outside the box” that He was crucified for it. His teachings are still way out of the box for modern society. It is an approach to leading ones’ life, including executive functioning, that is not what culture tries to compel us to believe. Individual Christians often try to fit Jesus into their own box, promoting the parts they like but ignoring the parts they do not or would rather not follow. This is absurdly shown in modern American politics which seem to think that Jesus is ONLY in their political party and would always vote along their party line at the time.
I would be remiss if I did not address this question “Aren’t there some really bad and evil people succeeding greatly in life?” Of course, what people usually mean is that they are rich. They did not use faith to get ahead, and they are doing fine. Thus, faith is not necessary for success in executive functioning or in life. You simply must have “faith” in yourself alone. As with everything, the Bible addresses this fact. The Minor Prophet Habakkuk asks God directly, as this book first chapters are a dialogue with God. I encourage you to read the entire book for it’s wisdom but will give you a brief recounting of one question Habakkuk asks God
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. (NIV 1:13-16)
Allow me to use the analogy of short term and long-term profit in business. Fortune magazine named Enron “American’s Most Innovative Company” for six years in a row. In 2000, it was valued as having revenues of 100 billion dollars. In 2001, it filed for bankruptcy and is now a symbol of systematic fraud and deceit. Now aren’t the people at Fortune magazine, founded in 1929, supposed to be savvy businesspeople and financial business writer wizards, among the smartest in business? Can’t they read financial sheets and analyze strategic plans? What about those wise and accomplished investors?
Looking at Habakkuk and the above one of many such stories, we need to understand that God is the ultimate in executive functioning; He is planning the long game, while we are obsessed with the short game. Of course, God is timeless, and we are bound by not only our very short lives but by the clock and the calendar. God is not moving fast enough for us because we have so little time compared to God. Yes, the wicked prosper and their executive functioning and plans seem to be winning. Sometimes they die and it seems as if they have not only gotten away with it but died on top, never seeing any punishment. But I maintain there were consequences even in their lives, ones that we never see which is how their souls felt near the end and possibly all the time they were “successful.” Think of the celebrities at the top of their game who commit suicide, obviously their outside was not indicative of how they felt inside. Sometimes consequences come quicker as there are CEO’s who were lionized while in charge but when they left it was clear that the emperor had no clothes and the company falters. There is ultimate judgement for us all, God wins, in the long game, over Satan. Not in the short term. If just look at any point in time, it seems that Satan is in control and rewarding his minions. The righteous thus look like the losers.
Why use faith to guide your executive functioning? Because it is the only way to win the long game.
There are some who are discussing the use of faith to improve executive functioning. That we need to start with faith and then can learn the mechanics, steps, or exercises to improve one’s executive functioning skills. How to make a budget. How to make a strategic plan. How to re- direct when a plan goes poorly. How to practice not being impulsive. All these are skills which can be learned in a systematic fashion. Research on learning these skills is invaluable to help us all get better at executive functioning. Mental health services are needed to help people deal with depression and anxiety disorders which are often caused by traumatic events in the past or just genetic disposition toward. Again, science can help with these issues, as well as health care professions, good public and private health services and funding, and improved educational practices. For the Christian to not take advantage of these knowledge bases, methods, or helpers is akin to the Christian man who wishes for winning the lottery but never buys a ticket. God wants us to use our earthly resources to help achieve our goals, whether it is listening to a podcast, taking a class, or reading a book. But to fully use these resources, to believe that they will be helpful, one needs faith. It is the fuel that runs the engines of our lives. Engines have many mechanic parts but need fuel or none of them work.
To end on a note of those combine faith with evidence-based methods of improving executive functioning, I present this resource from the School Mental Health Ontario and the Ontario English Catholic Teacher’s Association (OECTA). It is described on the website as “Faith and Wellness: A Daily Mental Health Resource offers a collection of high-quality, everyday mental health practices to enhance students’ social and emotional skills. These practices are rooted in the Catholic Faith and align with the Ontario curriculum, Ontario Catholic School Graduation Expectations (OCSGE) and Kindergarten four frames.”
https://smho-smso.ca/fw/critical-and-creative-thinking-executive-functioning/
