Cast Your Anxiety

First Peter 5

Cast your anxiety

Without a doubt in my mind, when we take the time to dig into God’s Word, we are drawn to the verses that connect to our lives at the moment.  That’s just one of the reasons why you can continually go back to the Bible and read it over and over and always gain fresh insights and unearth new gold nuggets that you missed before.  The Word of God doesn’t change, but our life situations certainly do.

And so the verse that practically launched itself at me is verse seven where Peter writes: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  It’s not a random impression.  Why not just admit it?  We are facing times that could be described as anxious.  Now I have to admit that I feel a little guilty even mentioning it.  I mean - I know people who are either unemployed or so far under-employed that they are having a hard time making ends meet.  Now that’s anxiety.  I have other people I know who are battling illness – illness that is playing for keeps.  Now that’s anxiety.  I could keep going with people who are struggling with addictions, or feeling left battered and bruised after a relationship went sour.  Compared to any of these, I’m not sure my anxious thoughts even qualify.

And yet those words that Peter shared really hit home.  They spoke to my heart and made me keenly aware that this uneasiness in my spirit is real, and yet, I’m doing anything but casting it on Him.  I fear that somewhere deep within me, I’m forgetting those words as quickly as I read them.  If I’d listen, there’s probably some little voice in my head drowning them out with something like: “Why would you cast it on Him?  Doesn’t He already have plenty on His plate?” 

But as I reread the chapter, I saw that nowhere does it state that you have to reach a minimum anxiety level before you begin casting it on Him, nor does Peter hint that there’s a maximum amount on His plate that we dare not exceed.  It’s just a simple promise – a prayerful conversation that goes something like this:

God:      You have anxiety? 

Me:        Why yes, God, I do. 

God:      Then cast it on me.  You tired of trying to wrestle it to the ground? 

Me:        Why yes, Lord, I am. 

God:      Then cast it on me. 

So I’m casting.  If I’m honest, a better description is that I’m casting, and then I’m retrieving.  Then I’m casting gain, and retrieving.  Sounds like fly fishing - I know, but sometime soon, I’m praying I’ll learn a whole lot more about casting and leaving than casting and retrieving.  After all, He cares for me.  That’s right, He cares for me.  And He cares for you too.   Maybe that’s where we both need to begin.

Somewhere in Between

First Peter 4

Somewhere in Between …

As I read and reread this fourth chapter, I kept coming back to two verses in particular. The first comes early in the chapter. Peter is calling the followers of Christ to live distinctively different than those who worship gods of a totally different kind. He goes on to add the result of such living won’t go unnoticed. In fact it may even puzzle those wh...o encounter them to the point that Peter writes: “They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation.” In other words, they just don’t understand why Christians don’t buy into an “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die” kind of philosophy.

Then in a completely different direction, Peter encourages followers of Christ to adopt a way of thinking where they can “rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” In other words, we see Christ at work in us even in times of great struggle.

I started to speak those two verses out loud – one after the other, and the thought that kept reoccurring is that I’m somewhere in between. On one hand, I have long since left the days where I was tempted to give into a blatant “let’s party” philosophy of life. Anette and I have reconnected with a few friends after many years and some of them still are there. I have to be honest. I don’t get that. In fact, while we’ve shared some history together, it’s like we’re speaking two different languages.

On the other hand, there’s a part of me that wishes I were at such a place in my faith where I can say those words that Peter writes with complete honest passion. That being said, I’ve already given away the fact that I’m not always there either. In fact there are times when I get quite frustrated over the pettiest inconvenience. It doesn’t take a major set back in my life to get my mind questioning God about why He’s allowed my suffering. Compared to what the Christians were facing in their walk with Jesus, my issues pale in comparison. I know Peter wasn’t writing nice religious fiction. This is the same disciple who would suffer and die on our cross – just like His Savior did for him.

So once again I find myself somewhere in between. Certainly not waving the white flag of surrender to the world, and yet hearing Peter’s words of admonition and realizing I’m not there yet. So where does that leave me? In the same place it always does … on my knees. I crying out with prayers for God’s mercy, thanksgiving for His grace, and asking Him to empower me to live more like Christ.