“casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
We are not simply called to cast all of our anxieties, or cares, upon our Lord because it is the easy or rational thing to do; rather, we are called to do so because it is so difficult. What am I saying? Satan is very crafty when it comes to working to destroy people’s lives, especially the Christian person’s walk with God. “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:7-10) He is a ravenous, relentless lion seeking any and all that he can “devour”, and one of his favorite ways to do this is through stress, anxiety, or worry. It can be over something of grave importance or even something of no significance, but either way, if the devil has us worrying instead of trusting our Lord and Savior, he has us right where he wants us. Where does God wants us? He wants us safe in His arms, trusting Him to provide for us and care for us, and wants us unloading our burdens of anxiety on Him instead of letting them drag us further down and further from Him. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalms 55:22) It is like the often shared on Facebook quote says: “If we trust the puzzle maker to put all the pieces in the box — why don’t we trust God with the pieces of our life?” This should be especially true when we face something anxiety provoking or worrisome, for we know: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA