The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. JOHN 10:10
Fear (more commonly referred to as anxiety) is your natural physiological response to threat. Your brain goes into survival mode. And survival mode overrides your reason every time. Every. Single. Time.
God created your brain to do that. Automatically.
Fear mobilizes your body to take action, whether that action takes the form of punching your enemy in the face, running for shelter, or freezing to convince him that you are dead. Each is a short-term response.
But is your enemy *hijacking your system?
Sometimes the threat is ongoing. I’ve been in those situations before. Abandonment. Infidelity. Homelessness. And I’ve discovered the critical importance of resetting your system every day, if not moment by moment.
Fear is more contagious than a virus.
Your enemy keeps it going by *hijacking your physiological and emotional responses. You can catch fear without physical contact. He likes to use the media, especially social media.
But you can even catch fear when you’re all alone. Perhaps you’re most susceptible then.
That’s when your enemy reminds you of your past failures and trauma. He wants you to react the way you did in the past. He wants you to live in fear. Constant fear. But he is a liar. And listening to his lies will drive your fear deeper into his pit of despair.
Nevertheless, you have the power to reset your system and overcome the enemy in 3 simple steps.
- Breathe. You cannot use your conscious thoughts to reset your system. You must begin with your body. Remember your brain is designed to listen to fear first. Breathing properly will signal your brain that all is well.
- Do not take deep breaths that make your shoulders rise. That will always increase your fear response. Instead, breathe from you diaphragm.
- Lie on your back with a pillow under your knees (NOT under your head) and a book on your belly button. Slowly push the book toward the ceiling by taking in air. Lower the book by slowly exhaling. Repeat the sequence for 4 minutes 4 times per day or as often as needed.
- Believe. As you quiet your body, use your mind to remind God (but mostly yourself) of His promises.
- Choose one Bible verse. Or picture Jesus in the room with you. Focus on Him as you breathe.
- This will begin to “cement” what you are telling your body with the Truth of who He is.
- Become. Once you have aligned your body and your mind with what God is doing, you possess the power of an overcomer.
- You can think more clearly. Fully mobilize your cognitive functions.
- You have the power to become part of the solution.
- Not only for yourself. But also for others.
Test these reset steps for yourself.
Practice these steps for the next 24 hours. Then let me know how you’re doing. I’m here to help.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. PSALM 150:6
*To hijack means to unlawfully seize something that is in transit and force it to go to a different destination or use it for one’s own purposes.
We want to protect each other’s health, as well as our own. However, we must remember that social distancing is not the same as social isolation.
What conversations are you having with The Lord? If you slow down and listen to yourself, you might find that you’re falling into a familiar pattern. I know from experience how easily our prayers can become a totally unproductive, one-way “conversation” with Jesus.