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This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life” (Romans 1:17, NLT).
I know the brain isn’t a muscle, but it should be treated like one. Unused muscles atrophy, and so does the brain.
I read books by Dr. Daniel Amen because not only does he have a cool name, but he is also the world’s leading authority on brain health. He writes in his book Conquer Worry and Anxiety:
According to research, people whose motto is “Don’t worry; be happy” die the earliest from accidents or preventable illnesses. Some anxiety is good. Obviously too much is bad, but so is too little.
A muscle gets healthy with stress. Flabby muscles need weightlifting, and our brains need hobbies or other activities that produce healthy stress. Doing the same exercises over and over decreases their effectiveness in building muscle, and spinning cycles of the same anxiety cause brain deterioration, too.
The right stress is needed for mind and body health. But what does “good stress” look like for the mind? The Bible gives a simple answer—faith!
We are saved by faith, grow in Christ by faith, mature in the fruit of the Spirit by faith, endure trials by faith, start and maintain healthy relationships by faith, and hope for eternity by faith.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Scripture teaches that our walk with Jesus is faith from first to last and that when we stop, our minds atrophy.
I’ve tried walking in faith for over fifty years, and the stress of faith can be beyond daunting, but it is also healthy and worth the cost. How are we living by faith today? What’s new in our calling? What specific thing has God asked us to do recently?
What can we do to exercise our faith? The Bible teaches three basics:
First: Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)
“Rejoicing” in the New Testament is often given as a command. The next time you are frustrated, literally say to yourself, “I rejoice in this!”
Second: Practice generosity
Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7).
Acts of faith can be practiced by all believers. A healthy brain is generous.
Third: Develop confession as a discipline
Many health gurus teach detoxing, and considering that bad decisions create more toxicity in life than anything else, learning confession with God and others enables healing.
As James says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16a).
My daughter is a physical therapist, and when I recently injured my arm (being too macho in weightlifting), she quickly diagnosed my problem and taught me counter-exercises. They worked, and now I’m back to being Mr. Universe (in my mind) at the gym.
Let’s practice the three disciplines above to protect our brains and our faith from atrophy.