Fear to Faith: Rewiring the Anxious Mind

Neurobiological and Biblical Essay by Samantha Shrock

Rushing to accomplish things in our own strength is our own detriment. 

When we fixate on strategizing outcomes that align with the narratives in our minds, it’s not just theoretically depleting—it’s physiologically destructive. The stress of striving wreaks havoc on our systems on a cellular level.

Micromanagement is a buzzy concept. Its traction conflates it, priming the “Type A” personality for misinterpretation. Clashing narratives compete for our attention. One day, the internet praises micromanagement for proactive assertion; the next, it’s condemned for manipulative control. Impressionable minds orient toward opinion instead of anchoring in fact, so ideals shift with the tides of digital trends.

Beneath layers of social commentary, substantial data on axis patterns in the brain suggest that neuroticism fuels a chronic dysregulation of the nervous system.¹ In other words, the stress of maintaining control erodes trust between our brains and bodies. From a spiritual perspective, idolizing control defeats the purpose (and freedom) of faith. Neurological health actually deteriorates when we live in a chronic state of fear. When fear-based motivation governs our thoughts, feelings, and behavior, we are operating in a deficit of faith. At its core, the remarkable beauty of sustained faith in a power that exceeds ourselves is that it stabilizes our brains and bodies into harmony with one another.²

Some genetics have a propensity toward anxiety. Stress thresholds are highly heritable.³ But heritability doesn’t define people as products of their genetics or environment. Christ seeks to rewire the anxiety-ridden pathways forged in our brains. If our brains are constantly reacting and adapting to new stimuli, who says those pathways can’t be reconstructed? 

In 1890, psychologist William James coined the term “plasticity”, describing the brain as a structure that is weak enough to conform to change, yet strong enough to withstand change.⁴ A chain of scientists through the 20th century explored and developed James’ theory, involving the discovery of neural synapses: lines of communication between cells in the brain that release chemical signals to forge pathways.5 This neural development is not exclusive to childhood; synapses reduce over time, yet persist through adulthood. Our brains never stop ‘becoming’—they are always in motion. 

Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Bible-believing neuroscientist, pioneered a scriptural approach to this theory. Leaf proposes that—if neuroplasticity affirms the nervous system’s structural response to thought and emotion—God designed the malleability of our minds to power the health of our brains.⁶

The brain is the epicenter and powerhouse of the nervous system. If our brains bend to the whims of our thoughts and feelings, patterns of stress can be repeatedly reinforced, which overstimulates with excessive fight-or-flight. This dysregulation activates a sustained release of cortisol and inclines us toward a sympathetic (SNS) baseline. The neurological and adrenal response to stress is a quietly addictive shift in our brains.7 If we achieve something great in a dysregulated state, it gives us a rush of feel-good hormones: dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. Our brains track that dysregulation as a marker of success, reactivating that sympathetic state to achieve the same results. Time and again. 

A sympathetic nervous state instinctively sounds an alarm that signals high stakes. When this state yields positive results, our brains reward success–no matter the means. We become hooked on a gratification system that equates the panic of cortisol with the relief of dopamine. Even so, our brains fail to log the long-term consequences of this sequence in real time. Optimizing intensity compromises longevity. Prolonged cycles of intense stress and relief are linked to reduced memory, impaired decision-making, and heightened emotional reactivity.⁸ After defaulting to fight-or-flight, the process of regulation can feel anticlimactic without the addictive rush. Even so, a regulated nervous system stabilizes into a more peaceful, sustainable rhythm of life.

Striving to do things our own way keeps us suspended in instability. When we rely on fickle earthly rhythms to secure our state of mind, we mistake certainty for peace. The Bible affirms that the only unwavering source of certainty is Jesus Christ. Apart from him, nothing is guaranteed. 

Scripture is heavily saturated with references to this holistic transformation–spiritual, mental, and physical. A born-again believer who commits their life to Christ is invited to begin walking a journey of sanctification. 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes this rebirth: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Christ’s atonement covers our sins, but we are called to shed our earthly layers that bind us in the flesh as we embrace a new identity in Christ. Romans 12:2 articulates this transformation as a literal renewing of the mind. How uncanny is the resemblance between science (neuroplasticity) and scripture (mental renewal) here?

We are clay to be molded in the Potter’s hands. Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:6 both highlight this vivid metaphor. We are made in the image of God–each bearing unique qualities as gifts that resemble God’s character. Even so, we are born with a nature that defies our Creator. Our flesh separates us from God, which is why embracing every facet of ‘how we were born’ or ‘how we are’ is not innocent self-acceptance… it’s simply unbiblical. When we invite Christ to cleanse and redeem us, we are also inviting him to do a deep, transformative, and often uncomfortable work in us. He welcomes us with open arms and calls us to come as we are, but committing our lives to him doesn’t mean staying where we are. The molding and shaping can be painful, as refining is often purging. We are inviting him to remove impurities of the flesh so the fruits of the Spirit can produce abundant life. Jesus conveys this sacrifice in multiple passages, including Matthew 10:39: “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” John 10:10 is another beautiful articulation of Jesus’ promise: “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

God didn’t wire our bodies and minds to rush, strategize, and calculate our way to success. He also did not create us for passivity or stagnancy. Instead, He mentors us into active faith, inviting us into the peace and stability of releasing control in a posture of trust–especially when that trust doesn’t come naturally. The transformation isn’t promised to be seamless, as denying our flesh defies our nature. Yet, Christ empowers us to reclaim regulation and live as we were truly designed: motivated by faith instead of fear.

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  1. Van Santen A, Vreeburg SA, Van der Does AJW, et al. Personality characteristics and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis regulation in older adults: neuroticism as a vulnerability factor for HPA axis dysregulation. Stress. 2011;14(4):384-394. doi:10.3109/10253890.2010.545461.
  2. Ferguson MA, Schaper FLWVJ, Cohen A, et al. A neural circuit for spirituality and religiosity derived from patients with brain lesions. Biol Psychiatry. 2022;91(4):380-388. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.016.
  3. Strom NI, Verhulst B, Bacanu SA, et al. Genome‑wide association study of major anxiety disorders in 122,341 European‑ancestry cases identifies 58 loci and highlights GABAergic signaling. Nat Genet. 2026;58:275‑288. doi:10.1038/s41588‑025‑02485‑8
  4. James W. The Principles of Psychology. Vol 1. Henry Holt and Company; 1890.
  5. Berlucchi G, Buchtel HA. Neuronal plasticity: historical roots and evolution of meaning. Exp Brain Res. 2008;192(3):307-319. doi:10.1007/s00221-008-1611-6.
  6. Leaf C. Switch on Your Brain. Tafelberg; 2005.
  7. Koob GF. Addiction is a reward deficit and stress surfeit disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2013;4:72. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00072
  8. McEwen BS, Nasca C, Gray JD. Stress effects on neuronal structure: hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2016;41(1):3–23. doi:10.1038/npp.2015.171

*All scriptural references are from the English Standard Version (ESV).