Fear, Faith, and Neuroscience
Thirteen years ago, on June 28, 2012, my friend Amy Peterson posted, “If you truly believe that God is in control and that He has not left the room: PLEASE stop using the following phrase about today’s weather/political/spiritual/financial climate, ‘I am scared about what is going on.’ You have no reason to be scared, and saying so denies your reality. Saying so washes your brain in fear and might make the world mistake you for one of their own. If you do not believe that God is in control, then feel free to be very scared. I would be, too.”
The remarkable thing about this: she was right in the middle of a mission to fight MS, raising money to go to Russia and be the first American to have Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. She overcame numerous obstacles in pursuit of her goal. Her words were not from a place of privilege but from the heat of the battle.
In the years since Amy’s original post, I’ve learned something fascinating: Our brains do not know the difference between fear and excitement. Both emotions trigger the same physiological response: racing heart, shallow breath, a flood of adrenaline. The message we tell ourselves, with our words and actions, shapes how our brain interprets the emotion. If you say, “I’m afraid,” your brain believes you’re in danger. However, if you say, “I’m trusting God’s plan,” your brain responds with clarity and peace.
This may be a newer discovery in the world of neuroscience, but science is just catching up to what Scripture always told us:
📖 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6–7
📖 “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7
📖 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” — Psalm 23:4
Verses like these keep us grounded when everything else shifts. When the storm swirls around us and the battles rage around the world, when nothing on earth seems reliable or stable, we have Hope as an Anchor. God is still on the throne!
My friend’s words are timelessly relevant. The fears of today are not new. Throughout history, from the wilderness wanderings of Israel to the persecuted early church, from world wars to economic collapse, the world shakes with uncertainty. People of faith must choose between living in fear and standing firm. When your pulse quickens and thoughts race, remember the Truth: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” — Isaiah 26:3.
We overcome fear through persistent prayer, faithful Bible study, meaningful fellowship, and by guarding the words and messages we allow in our hearts and homes. When God is in the room—and He is—we have no reason to fear and every reason to walk in confident expectation of His promises.