The Way Out of AnxietySample

Today, we’ll camp out in a verse about anxiety that may be familiar to many of us:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5: 7)

This is what I call a "C4 verse" or a Cute Christian Coffee Cup verse. Or, it’s what is deemed an Insta-worthy verse. Post this verse on social media with the right hashtags and color scheme, and you’re guaranteed to garner a few ‘likes.'

But here's what the verse right before this one says: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5: 6)

Now, that’s not an Insta-verse. Post that verse on social media, and it won’t get you likes or follows. No one wants to talk about humbling oneself because that implies acknowledging this thing called pride which makes folks fairly uncomfortable.

But here’s the thing: the verse about casting our anxiety on God springboards off the previous verse about humbling ourselves before him. In the ESV translation of the Bible, these two verses meld together in one long sentence, which reads: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

The apostle Peter who is the author of this book, is not just saying, “Be bold in the face of anxiety.” He says, “Humble yourself in the face of anxiety.”

When we position ourselves under God’s mighty hand, we are able to take off our backpack of burdens, hand it over to Him, and say, “Here you go, God! I can’t do this on my own. I need You.”

It’s only when we humble ourselves before God that we learn to cast our anxieties onto Him. The way out of anxiety is to get rid of the “I.’

I love the CS Lewis quote that says, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less.”

Friend, may we pray for the gift of self-forgetfulness. May we ask God to teach us true humility where our heart's focus is Jesus and our greatest desire is His glory.

Reflect

Is the need to be in control keeping me from humbling myself before God and handing over my worries to Him? Do I trust that God is able to handle every situation, or do I think that I am better poised to deal with some of my problems?

Lean In

Father God, I come before You and confess that I have not trusted You as I ought to. I acknowledge, Lord, that I have preferred to live under an illusion of being in control—and that has made me more anxious. Father, would You redeem my bent to wanting to be in control and replace it with a joyful surrender to You? In Jesus’ name. Amen