Stop Surviving and Start Living

 

     Did you know there is a connection between your brain and the Holy Spirit?  More specifically, there is a connection between how you respond to things and how you submit to God’s Holy Spirit. 
 
     Go to Nerd-ville with me for just a moment.  There are lots of parts to our brains, but there are two that always seem to be competing with each other.  Our prefrontal cortex handles all of our reasoning, rationality and processing.  Then, there is our limbic system which controls our fight/flight/freeze responses to stress—it is our survival mode.
 
      When we are in survival mode we are not at peace.  When we are not at peace, we struggle to hear from, and submit to Holy Spirit.  Now, listen to these words from Jesus, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).
 
     Our survival mode is keeping us from really living in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is only when we lose our lives (i.e. stop living is survival mode) as a faith act for Jesus and his gospel that we will really live in the peace and direction of the Holy Spirit of God.   So, how do we do that?  Here are a few places to start.

 

  1. Start your day in prayer. If you start the day focused on how God is bigger than your stresses it will be much easier to live like it for the rest of the day.
  2. Interrupt the stress. Take a deep breath.  Count to ten.  Walk away.  The idea is to put some space between the stress and the response.  The space is where we will generally hear Holy Spirit.
  3. Get a mantra. Recently mine has been, “Lord, help me to love you and help me to love him/her.”  Again, the idea is to interrupt the stress and remind yourself that God’s Holy Spirit is already at work in the situation.
  4. Tell someone. Accountability always helps to reinforce goals.  Find someone that you will talk to for accountability and that will support you with prayer and encouragement.

       I want to support, celebrate and pray for as well. So, let me know how you are implementing these things in your life.  I can’t wait to hear how the Holy Spirit is working in your brain.  

In Him,
Pastor Tim

 


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