In a conversation with a fellow citizen in our small town of Thibodaux, I brought up a recent hostage situation, expressing my concern. The response I received, though not surprising, reflected the times we live in. “I don’t want to hear another thing,” they said. “I’m so stressed out with politics, with the Republicans and Democrats, with all the things going on.”

It struck me then how overwhelmed we have become—not just by events themselves, but by the constant bombardment of media and social media. Every day, we are exposed to endless newsfeeds filled with division, fear, and chaos. Yet, as I reflected, I realized the answer to this problem is simpler than we often think.

When we wake up each morning, the sun rises just as it always has. The grass still grows, the birds still sing, and the Lord continues to provide for the animals. Nature moves as it was designed to—predictable, steady, and under God’s control. At night, the stars and moon take their place in the sky, exactly as expected. The world around us follows the order of the Creator.

What changes, however, is the way we interpret the events that happen to us. The stories we attach to those events—that’s where the trouble begins. The Lord calls us to be strong and courageous, to trust in His promises. He has promised to forgive our sins, to remove our guilt as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Think of Paul, who witnessed the stoning of Christians, or Peter, who denied Christ three times. Their actions could have filled them with crippling guilt, yet God forgave them, renewed their hearts, and used them for His glory.

So why do we let the events of this world overwhelm our minds? We allow fear to enter through the endless cycle of negative news and social media stories, but these fears don’t come from the Lord. Instead, we must renew our minds daily in Scripture, in the knowledge that we are free in Christ. We should wake up each day with gratitude, thankful for the opportunity to live our faith boldly and without fear.

The propaganda of today is just that—stories. They are events colored by someone else’s narrative. We have the power to interpret these events differently, to attach meaning that aligns with love, empathy, and God’s truth.Instead of letting fear grip us, we must renew our minds, seeking out the good in the world, in people, and in the opportunities each day provides.

This renewal of the mind requires us to step back from the fear-driven narratives and focus on the promises of the Lord for our lives. He has called us to live with strength, not in judgment or anxiety, but with love and empathy for those who are caught in a cycle of trauma and fear. Let’s renew our minds with faith and trust in the Lord’s goodness, rather than being swept away by the fearful stories that the world so often promotes.