There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. I John 4:18
I’ve been meditating on this verse intensely for the past couple months, asking the Lord how to remain in His perfect love, how to feel it, give it away, and stay in it constantly, receiving more and more till I overflow. To have my thoughts dripped in love and originate from love.
What is a strong influence hindering love in our lives? Fear.
Because I love neuroscience, of course it led me on to asking deeper questions about the science and theology of fear and wondering if God ever intended for our brains to detect fear or was this a result of the Fall? How did man’s choice to sin impact our brains and what happens to our brains after our spirit is redeemed and we become a new creation at salvation?
We know the brain detects fear, which sets off a chain of physiological reactions that prepares the body for a fight-or-flight response. If there was a fire that instantly appeared in my home right now the amygdala would trigger the release of cortisol and adrenaline to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and energy for immediate action and exit of my home. I’m thankful for this response in my brain that signals for me to run from a situation that would potentially harm me.
But what if I didn’t feel fear and God told me in His wisdom and love I would be okay, it’s a small fire and in love He would instruct me in His wisdom and love what to do? This is the beginning of the fear of the Lord. Let me explain further.
I believe God designed our brains and spirits in such a way that LOVE would trigger the amygdala. If we have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord and been redeemed, our SPIRIT-MAN now dictates how we think and behave. The perfect love of God fills our spirit man, but part of sanctification and wholeness is letting God’s perfect love invade our soul (mind, will, and emotions). Make sense? LOVE must inform our now redeemed brain, (the amygdala/threat response) and be the source from which we detect and discern fear. This is our soul coming into alignment and being directed and led by our spirit-man. This is having the mind of Christ and the beginning of wisdom. Sometimes this will not make sense to our natural minds and this is where the peace of God that passes ALL UNDERSTANDING comes in. Holy Spirit drives the amygdala response not our pain, trauma, or unhealed parts of our soul.
In addition, as we stay in God’s presence, abiding in His love dopamine, the brain chemical responsible for pleasure, excitement, and motivation is literally released into the cells of our body. Love is what keeps us bonded, as oxytocin is released in the brain and body forming bonds of trust. In other words, God is who sustains us and gives us peace when in the natural the soul realm might be afraid. Have you ever experienced his peace that passes understanding in a situation where in the natural all evidence points to you should being afraid?
Did God create us to live in an eternal state of dopamine release? I think so! God is love and in Him is no darkness. You are in Christ and Christ is in you! You’ve probably heard of dopamine by now and all the many ways our systems are over-stimulated and getting dumped with superficial quick fixes of dopamine. The enemy can only distort what God created! I believe God gave us dopamine and He originally designed us to receive this dopamine hit from a love relationship with Him and others. He is a river of living water and I believe He designed us to constantly be refreshed by Him and live in this place of His perfect love constantly present to us and sustaining us. He is the author of our neurotransmitter’s and the more we focus on His love the more healed our brain and entire neuro-network becomes.
Doesn’t scripture teach that we are to fear God and him alone?
Does fearing God produce cortisol? It shouldn’t!
Fearing God is loving God and being loved by God, and much much more. (that would be another post).
Shouldn’t love, God himself, be the one to activate my fear response?
In reality, I see that God made dopamine and oxytocin to be more powerful than cortisol and adrenaline. In other words, perfect love does cast out fear. Dopamine cast out cortisol!
I think of the early christian martyr’s and some of the testimonies I’ve read. How many went to their deaths with joy, humor, or singing hymns. You hear of Polycarp how he radiated courage and joy and his body would not burn. What was happening from a spiritual and neurological standpoint? He was experiencing love, the release of oxytocin and dopamine that was literally reducing pain, stress, and anxiety and spiritually He was in another realm- the realm of God’s Love.
If God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind, how is the amygdala to function in our redeemed, new creation brain? (2 Tim 1:7) Both neuroscience and scripture support that LOVE IS THE ANTIDOTE TO FEAR.
Overcoming fear through love involves intentional practice that shifts your mind, will, emotions, and nervous system out of fight or flight into a state of presence. We were designed to literally abide in the vine, Jesus, and this vine of love be our source of dopamine, aka joy. Practically, this puts your body in what we call a parasympathetic state and where your soul is present and you are able to engage with God and others in a restful state.
So in closing, how do we remain in the presence of Love? Let me give you a few practical tools for remaining in love and staying connected to your spirit man.
- Surround yourself with supportive individuals who encourage and uplift you.
- Openly share your fears with God and trusted others, vulnerability through confession and lamenting (not venting), can regulate the nervous system and discharge the feeling of fear in your body.
- Engage in regular meditation in scripture and practice “soaking” in worship music. What I mean by soaking is to lay still or find a quiet, un-distracting place and simply rest in His love. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your heart without a specific agenda or requests; the purpose is to experience a sense of peace and renewal by simply being present with God.
- Lastly, focus on and ask for God’s wisdom and ways. The word says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). The Hebrew word for fear is “yirah,” and it means to have a deep reverence, respect, and awe for God’s power and authority, essentially recognizing His greatness and living according to His ways, because He is the tree of life, not to literally be afraid of Him.
I hope this has given you a fresh perspective on God’s perfect love that removes all ungodly fear and heals brain chemistry and sets up your mind for perfect peace that passes understanding.
