Anxiety

This past week we planned to host a dinner with some dear friends. The morning of, I woke up and immediately felt anxious. How was I going to get everything done that I needed to do? Homeschooling, work, prepping dinner, cleaning up the house, loads of laundry, and training our new puppy all stared me in the face. Let me pause right here and say, I have certainly faced more difficult and painful situations in my life, and in those times I have turned to the Lord knowing most certainly the situation was out of my control. But this? If I planned it just right, I told myself I would be just fine. Still feeling a bit overwhelmed, I sat down to read the Word and drink some hot coffee before starting my busy day, and this is where the Lord met me.

He gently quieted my anxious heart with this familiar verse.

1Peter 5:6-8

6-Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7-casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8-Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Humble (tapeinoo: condition of the heart, to bring low)

Casting (epiripto: to throw upon, place upon)

Anxieties (merimna: distraction, cares)

Cares (melei: to be of interest, take care)

Sober-minded (nepho: referring to not being drunk, calm, collected in spirit)

*Greek words in parentheses

As I read this verse my heart was drawn to the word all. "Casting ALL your anxieties on him"

Do I cast ALL my cares upon Jesus? As I thought about this question, I realized that I don't. Praying about something as trivial as prepping for a dinner with friends seemed silly when people are homeless, out of a job, have terrible diseases, mourning the loss of a loved one, and the list goes on.

But the Lord was lovingly reminding me.

This scripture doesn't tell us to cast only our "big" cares on Him, it says all. Nothing is insignificant and unimportant for the Lord. In fact, any anxiety we carry has the potentional to become all-consuming. The word meimna rightly means distraction, because anxiety is a distraction; it can blind, overtake, and paralyze us. I have been there before. Anyone else? Whether it has been a very painful or difficult circumstance, or a whole bunch of cares piled on top of each other, anxiety, at times, has blinded my perspective, overtaken my thinking, and paralyzed me from living in the freedom Jesus provides.

In verse 8, it says "be sober-minded and watchful". Sober-minded means calm and collected in spirit. Anxiety is the opposite of this and we have an enemy that wants to devour us. Satan is like a roaring lion and wants to use our anxiety against us. He knows as the cares of life continue to pile on us and we continue to carry them on our own, we will grow weary and weak.

But this, my friend, is not the end of the story. God cares about each and every one of us. The word cares means to be of interest, to take care. He is interested in every aspect of your life and desires to tenderly and lovingly take care of you. He sees every detail and every tear.

Verse 6 says to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Humility is a condition of the heart; it is a continual recognition that we need God for everything. Yes, even the things that seem silly or insignificant-things that seem like we should be able to handle on our own strength. Our heavenly Father lovingly calls us to give up our self-reliance and live in His mighty protection, provision, and counsel.

Luke 21:33-34

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Weighed down (bareo: burdened, heavy, oppressed)

*Greek word in parentheses

In this scripture the day being referred to is a time when the Lord will return and take all those who believe in Him to be with Him for eternity; eternity spent in a new heavens and new earth.

Notice the caution: "watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with...cares of this life". Cares in this verse is the same word merimna. We have to be on guard because the cares of this life have the potential to become a heavy, oppressing burden on our hearts; a burden that blinds us to the danger that is lurking.

1 Peter 5:9-10

8-Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9-Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10-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.

One way we can remain sober-minded and resist the devil is by continuing to have faith in our great God, laying ALL our cares at His feet, and submitting to His loving care. When we do this, we receive His unfailing, unmatching strength. We see in this scripture that life is not suffering-free as a follower of Christ. We will have pain, difficulty, and experience things that threaten to oppress our hearts, but we serve a God of grace, and He has promised to personally restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.

Ephesian 6 talks about the armor of God-armor that He gives His people to resist the devil. After listing each crucial piece, the beginning of verse 18 says, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. I have definitely thought before, "how can I pray always?" The Lord showed me that I can pray all throughout my day. I can whisper my every concern to Him anytiime, anywhere during my day. If He tells us to pray always, that means He is close enough to listen...ALWAYS. He is ready to catch and carry every burden we throw on Him...ALWAYS. He never tires or sleeps. He walks beside us all day long-a friend we can have a continual, honest, open-ended conversation with.

So after reading these scriptures and drinking my morning coffee, I prayed while I was making breakfast for my kids and prayed while taking our puppy for a walk, and do you know what happened? The amount of work I had to do didn't decrease, but my heart was filled with joy. I faced my checklist with confidence, believing that as I cast my cares on the Lord, He holds me in His caring, capable hands. I can trust the Lord with all my cares. There is no care that He will toss back at me and say, "You don't need me for this one", because without Him we can do nothing. We need Him for all the cares of life.

The Bible also says that we can bear each other's burden's and I believe, one powerful way we can do this is by praying for one another. So whatever you are facing today, whatever care you carry, I would love to pray for you. Feel free to message me and we can trust God together.

*People do suffer from life-altering anxiety, if this is you, I encourage you to talk with someone you trust and seek professional help.

Sincerely,

Amy