This special conversation between Dr. Curt Thompson and Jedd Medefind was part of the series Living, Loving, and Serving Well in the Era of Coronavirus. Join as they uncover the neurobiology of fear and anxiety, explore how to approach worry with a view of God’s care and eternity, and explore practical ways to help both our children and ourselves keep peaceful hearts amidst a world turned upside-down.
In this episode, we'll explore:
- The long-term impacts of a sustained anxious state and its consequences for our body, mind and heart.
- The strong relationship between anxiety and human connection.
- How to think about anxiety and fear in the light of Scripture.
- Specific practices anyone can take to turn from anxiety, fear and isolation and toward calm and connection.
- What’s needed to accept God’s invitation and command to “not be afraid”.
- The key role of attention in both causing and healing anxiety.
Key Quotes
“Evil will use fear at every opportunity to turn my attention away from others, away from God, away from being a force of creativity, and towards being someone who only sees the world as a problem to be fixed – and, oh my goodness, I don’t have what it takes to do this.”
“We are made by a God and serve a God that, oddly enough, comes to us and says to us, ‘do not be afraid’.”
“The choice of turning our attention to do something in particular – and in specific terms – to the God of all strength and comfort and peace – that is the fundamental choice at the heart of this.”
