Worry Never Changes Anything For Good

This past Sunday, I talked about a part of our brain (the amygdala) that was created to help us to survive those fight-or-flight moments. 

You know...when a bear or mountain lion springs out onto your path, or when a loud crash wakes you up in the middle of the night.

We learned that the amygdala isn’t always trustworthy- that it’s easily triggered and that it’s often preprogrammed to our fears, past trauma, misunderstandings, hurts, people, etc.

A tiny part of our brain has the potential to irrationalize and bring chaos to a moment, to an environment that didn’t require it...even when we didn’t push the button ourselves.

The good news is, God also crafted our brain with something to help balance out our tend-to-overreact Amygdala.

We’re also equipped with a Prefrontal Cortex which is the logical part of our brain.

But wait! There’s more!

God has also given us profound, rational, what’s-actually-real truths that He says we have the ability to choose and make our own.

These truths, methods, practices aren’t only found in the Bible, but they’re found through doctors, scientists and others- that He has (whether they realize it or not) made them to discover and relay to us.

People like neuroscientist Caroline Leaf who revealed that research has found that twelve minutes of daily prayer over an eight week period of time can change the chemistry in our brains, so much so that it shows up on a brain scan.

Paul says this in...Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul says in Every. Single. Situation.

If it’s on your mind, it’s on God’s heart. 

God’s peace. Jesus’ peace. Will guard your heart. But we’ve got to make it a habit of turning to him.

We’ve got to make room, and a place for him- to move in, and actually rule our hearts.

A huge part of allowing God’s peace to rule our hearts is to let it rule our hearts.

That means, handing your worry or anxious thought over to him and not taking it back.

That means, deciding beforehand not to worry because WORRY NEVER CHANGES ANYTHING FOR GOOD.

We all want God’s peace but do we want it to rule our hearts?

The peace of Jesus can’t rule what we’re continuing to carry and govern. The peace of Jesus can only rule what we lay and submit at his feet.

I get it. This reads so much easier than it lives.

But I’m telling you. Paul is telling you. Jesus is telling you.

Practice makes perfect.

...And the more you allow Jesus to handle it, the more you’ll experience how good and capable He is, which will make it a little bit easier the next time.