In this podcast, Steve Cuss explores reactivity and its effects on relationships, emphasizing the importance of staying connected to oneself, God, and others. He provides techniques for recognizing and diffusing anxiety, discusses how false beliefs contribute to anxiety, and explores Jesus' non-anxious peaceableness.
Reactivity can lead to disconnection from ourselves, others, and God, but by staying connected to God even in reactive moments, we can maintain awareness of His presence.
Identifying and challenging false beliefs that drive reactivity allows us to experience freedom and peace in Christ and align our lives with the truth.
Deep dives
Noticing Reactivity and Staying Connected
Reactivity, both within ourselves and from others, can disrupt our connections to ourselves, others, and God. By becoming aware of our reactivity, we can work towards staying connected and avoiding negative impacts. This includes recognizing the importance of staying connected to God even when reactive, which allows us to maintain awareness of His presence. This connection extends to others, including those we find difficult to love or consider as enemies. By not letting our values be compromised by reactivity, we can expand our capacity to connect.
Carrying More Than God Asks
Reactivity often occurs when we take on more than God asks us to carry, leading to overfunctioning. Overcommitting and anxiously trying to help can result in worry, which is an attempt to carry a load that God has not asked us to bear. Reactivity is particularly influenced by false beliefs and assumptions. For instance, worrying about what others think of us involves crossing into God's territory, where trust and faith become challenging. By recognizing and challenging these false beliefs, we can break free from reactivity and trust in God's sovereignty.
Noticing Reactivity Through Body Signals
One effective way to identify reactivity is by paying attention to our body signals. Reactivity often manifests in different forms such as a spinning mind, racing heart, or a tightening body. Noticing these physical reactions helps us become aware of our anxiety and reactivity. By becoming attuned to the specific bodily signals that indicate reactivity, we can interrupt the cycle and shift our focus towards staying connected to God. This practice allows us to exchange worry and false beliefs for the truth and the peace that comes with aligning ourselves with God's presence.
Reactivity and False Beliefs
Reactivity is driven by false beliefs and assumptions we hold. These false beliefs create a sense of danger or threat, triggering anxiety and reactivity. Reactivity is contagious as we project our expectations and assumptions onto others, leading to further disconnection. Identifying and challenging these false beliefs allows us to experience freedom and peace in Christ. It involves distinguishing between our precious belief in Jesus and our core beliefs that often drive our actions. Recognizing the power and influence of false beliefs helps us align our lives with the truth that sets us free.
What happens when we’re reactive? We disconnect from our awareness of God.
So says Steve Cuss on this episode of Being Human. With concrete advice and a tone of encouragement, Cuss illuminates the path for listeners who want to name what causes their reactivity so they can stay connected to themselves, God, and others.
Cuss explores how Jesus paves a way for us to connect to our so-called enemies. He directs listeners into prayer and peace as he shares stories of addressing anxiety and reactivity in his own life. And he helps listeners identify how reactivity shows up in their bodies so that they can actively diffuse it.
Tune in for an episode that is Scripturally rich, gently guiding, and practically applicable.