“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
(1 John 3:18–20)
Dearest Daughters,
How do we calm our anxious, restless hearts and enter into the peace that makes us children of God? How does one climb out of the downward spiral of worthlessness, depression, anxiety, and loneliness that so many fall into during certain seasons of life? Scripture gives us a clear path:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
So learning how to renew our minds is the key.
Our society is experiencing an unprecedented rise in depression, anxiety, loneliness, and fear. And sadly, the church has not been spared from this downward spiral. These battles seem to press particularly hard on women. If the renewal of our minds is the answer, how do we truly do that?
Did you know that our minds are connected to every cell in our bodies? Because of the brain’s incredible plasticity, we actually have the capacity to redirect our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing through our thoughts and attitudes. This shouldn’t be surprising, since scripture has been telling us this for thousands of years! The attitude and perspective of mind with which we approach any circumstance sends signals to each cell in the body, showing it how to respond and what hormones to release. This then determines what proteins the cell creates. In short, our thoughts and perspectives literally become a physical part of who we are!
Dr. Caroline Leaf, a neuroscientist, has studied this extensively, and I have enjoyed reading some of her work. She explains that as much as 85% of disease is stress-related, and that negative emotions can actually twist and constrict DNA, shutting down healthy cell function. But she also discovered that joy, gratitude, love, and appreciation reverse the effect of stress. These positive attitudes can literally restore health, even increasing resistance to disease by hundreds of thousands of times! Science has simply proven what Scripture has declared all along: “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
Some of you remember when your autistic brother Christopher was small and so easily overwhelmed. The smallest thing could send him into a terrible meltdown of tears and terror. There were days when nothing we did seemed to reach him, but slowly we learned to notice early on the little signs that told us when a storm was coming. And when we saw these indicators, we’d gather him up and take him into a different space. Because he loved water, we gave him jobs like filling glasses at the table, watering the plants, splashing the ducks, filling the dog bowls, turning on the garden sprinkler. Something about those acts calmed him. That change of scenery, changed his panic into peace and even a service to the family
In time, he began to do this for himself. When fear rose, he would pour water for the meal or go outside to water the animals. Eventually, the meltdowns faded, and a good habit replaced them! That is the essence of taking thoughts captive. We do not arguing endlessly with fear, but instead, redirect it into gratitude, prayer, love and service.
None of us can do this by ourselves, but God has placed us in relationship so that our weaknesses can be filled by the strengths of others. If we were able to perfect ourselves alone, would we not be little gods?
Your Uncle Asi once gave this analogy: when a diabetic suffers an insulin crash, their perception of the world is distorted, and they feel panic and despair. But the solution is not to debate with those feelings but to give them insulin! In the same way, when depression or fear clouds our mind, we must not endlessly argue with the dark narrative it brings. Instead, we must accept the equivalent of an “insulin shot”—a word of truth and a perspective outside ourselves. We must learn to trust someone who sees clearly when we cannot.
So don’t be ashamed of weakness. Weakness is the very place where grace can become tangible. Those hollow spaces in us are designed to be filled with God Himself, and with the love and strength of His people. When you are joined to Him and to His body, your weakness becomes a channel for love to flow like a river and a place for His strength to be made perfect.
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:18–20)
So when fear or condemnation try to define you, remember that God is greater than your heart. You are not left alone to battle your thoughts. His Spirit can renew your mind, and His people can strengthen your soul. So let His love transform your weakness into glory. Cast aside those nibbling, chewing thoughts, and enter into serving and loving others! Embrace relationships that bring different perspectives than yours, and the big picture of Jesus will come back into view!
With all my love,
Mom