A Wake-Up Call for Believers in these Confusing and Divisive Times

By Audrey Hardin, MS LPC

I recently wrapped up a conference speaking to Christian educators on the topic of how to go from surviving to thriving. With overwhelming positive feedback, I decided to put it in writing in hopes of helping you and those you love to transition out of survival mode, with its negative effects, and get back to the life God designed you to live -no matter what’s going on in our world.

Whenever there is a threat to our survival (either real or perceived) our brains downshift from our frontal lobe (highest brain center) into our primitive survival brain. Due to the pandemic narrative, most of us have been LIVING in our primitive brain.

However, we weren’t created to live there —we were created to be free to thrive in the higher center of our brain, CONNECTED to who God created us to be with specific gifts and strengths. When we are thinking and acting out of this connection with God we naturally begin sharing the good news and working to display God’s love to others and build His Kingdom.

But here’s the thing, we can’t do that if we are living in survival brain.

How do you know if you’re living in survival mode? Your primary emotions and expressions are “anxious, fearful, exhausted, and reactive”.

I see this ALL-OVER social media —people that I know and love suddenly shaming others for their personal choices …truly out of fear. I see us putting our trust in a “thing” over Jesus.

Jesus warns about this all throughout the gospels -building our house (our life) on the things of this world (sinking sand) instead of on Christ -the Rock. No wonder our lives look and feel so chaotic.

I myself have felt convicted over emphasizing politics and medical choices over Jesus, and I wanted to take a moment and invite us all to consider where our hope is.

What are you putting your trust in?
Have you allowed the enemy -the father of lies, to steal your joy and hope by telling you to look to a person or a substance to obtain your security?

Our hope as Christians is simply found in the truth: HE is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We can know Him and true Truth through his Word (not the news).

We can also REST in knowing that He has secured our eternal home, and because He “entered the veil” by sacrificing Himself for our sins, we can access Him - our creator, redeemer, and lover of our souls – now and forever! Hebrews 6:19

But again, we can all get stuck in the Fight/flight mode, missing out on connecting deeply with our assurance of God’s presence and protection which allows us to love others and continue growing emotionally and spiritually.

It happens so easily. Enough real or perceived threats send us into survival mode, and that feels far more concrete to control than the believer’s call to live by faith.

Keep in Mind:

Your brain is A-moral; meaning, when it is triggered, it doesn’t seek “to do the right thing” or the God-honoring, emotionally mature thing. Rather, it seeks only to survive.

Thus, with all the triggers on the news, social media, and in our relationships, our fear drives our brain to choose base level survival instincts which are animalistic and self-centered.

I see the enemy, crafty and conniving, keeping us stuck in this survival mode so we begin seeing the world and each other as a threat.

Survival mode as a culture looks like division, rigidity, and chaos.

THE CHRISTIAN’S CHOICE

As Christians, every day we wake up with a choice: to live by faith or live by fear of man. God calls us to live a life of faith marked by love for Him and love for one another.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “..for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Hebrews 11:6 “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”

If we cannot choose to love each other above the narrative of division this culture is pushing, we have no witness.

Galatians 5:13-15

“For you have been called to live in FREEDOM —not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to SERVE one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “love your neighbor as yourself.
v 15 But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! BEWARE of destroying one another.”

Verse 15 will continue to be our reality today if we don’t make the choice to say no to fear and division.

My spiritual grandmother Dianne continues to remind me of this quote by St. Augustine often to help me navigate difficult crossroads: “In the essentials, unity, in the non-essentials, liberty, and in all things, charity.”

1. In the Essentials, UNITY

We are to be unified on the things the Bible says are essentials, also known as the tenants of our faith, i.e., the Triune God, inherency of scripture, sin, salvation, commandments, etc.

When we are off here, the Bible says to rebuke and admonish the unruly.

We are also to be unified as the body of Christ:

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:5-7

2. In the Non-essentials, LIBERTY

The Bible is gray on certain things such as politics and how you care for your body. We are called to extend grace and liberty here.

Romans 14 even mentions what is sin for one man may not be sin for another. This is why it’s imperative that we are going to the Lord first with these questions, as He is our light in the gray.

3. In ALL things, CHARITY [LOVE!]

We were never meant to play the role of judge over others, their decisions, or their hearts. That is God’s job.

Deuteronomy 1:17 “You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

No matter what the world and the underworld use to create division –from someone rubbing you the wrong way to differing beliefs on non-essential things, we are to extend love and grace (as we were given such by a Holy, just, and gracious God).

Colossians 3:12-14 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

ONE FINAL THOUGHT:

I hope that we will examine our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by asking the Lord to show us where we have forsaken Him and His commandments along the way. He offers us forgiveness immediately, and a clear path to transformative living and loving. After all, we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Consider putting some of the mentioned verses to memory as your guide back to vital and honoring faith!

Romans 12:2

“Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, and what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

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Audrey Hardin is a Therapist, Speaker, and Workshop Leader at Hardin Life Resources in Dallas and McKinney, TX.

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