Are you believing a lie?

There is a part of our mind that goes into a panic mode without us even having to think about something. That part of our mind needs the help of the other parts of our brain to not always being in the panic mode. We panic because of the amygdala, but we can get control over panicked thoughts because the prefrontal cortex can bring reason into the situation. There is always a 'trigger' with any form of panic, anxiety, or fear. Our minds can go do the 'panic highway' and take us to the point of being overwhelmed by the thing we are keeping on our minds the most. If it is on our mind - remember it is in God's heart. He wants our mind's burdens to be given to him, so he can restore our minds to a place of peacefulness.

Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. Do what you have learned or received or heard from me. Follow my example. The God who gives peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

It is the peace of God that guards our minds. The brain can continually be renewed - we don't have to always think the same way we have a tendency to think. We can change the way we think through a very powerful technique we refer to as 'prayer'. Prayer actually changes the neural responses of our brains in a positive manner. If we want peace to reign in our lives, we might need a little more time in prayer allowing our brains to be changed and renewed. Anxiety is the result of a racing, irrational amount of thought on some issue. The part of our brain that causes this panic response is 'taking over' all the emotions we can muster.

Worry is saying we don't trust God. We perseverate over the thought we make the most dominant and we begin to question if God will actually help us out of the predicament we are in. We choose to place our trust in God by an act of our brains - we begin to think upon the holy nature of God, the true and pure things. We stop thinking about the things that damage the spirit, embracing the things that bring life and peace to our spirit. We take every thought - allowing our irrational part of our brains captive - by choosing intentionally to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts.

Worry is taking back the thing we gave to God. Our God is too small and our worries are too big. So we think we have to hold onto those worries because we have trouble trusting God to take care of those worries. We need a bigger God - it is time to change the way we think about God. Prayer can do a lot to change the way we think about him - the way we trust him. We begin to share our cares in our prayers. That wasn't just a catchy slogan to live by - it was truth! Let those worries out of your mind - stop trusting in them and start trusting in God to take care of those cares. 

Worries are irrational - we invest an irrational amount of time and energy into those things that are really not worth the investment. We lay those worries down in prayer. Peace is the replacement of our worries with God's presence. We need to let our worries be swallowed up in his peace - it begins in prayer, grows in prayer, and is rooted in prayer. Trust God - because of who he is, his nature of love and grace, and his promises of goodness toward his children. It may not come immediately - worry is likely a lifetime problem for us, but whenever we share those worries in even short prayers, we are allowing our thoughts to be changed about those things that worry us the most. 

Take control of your worries - this is a lie we have been told. God takes control of our worries as we lay them down in prayer. Then we take truth into our lives in place of our worry. We allow our minds to be filled with the newness of his peace. Worry is gradually displaced because we are growing closer to Jesus each day. We are being changed (renewed) and his peace becomes the dominant thought in place of those repetitive thoughts of worry and panic. Peace isn't us taking control of worry - it is us giving our worries to the one who will take control of them and deal with them once and for all. Just sayin!