THERE’S an invitation in the Bible that should bring comfort to each of us. It’s found in first Peter chapter five verses six and seven. In the NKJV it states: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” In the ERV version it’s worded a little differently and it states: “So be humble under God’s mighty hand and He will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you.” And in the CEB version it says: “Therefore humble yourselves under God’s power so that He may raise you up in the last day. Throw all your anxiety onto Him because He cares for you.”
If we’re honest, we’d admit that we’re all carrying some type of burden that has been causing us some level of worry or anxiety. We’re living in a time when it should be expected for us to be confused by the past, uneasy in the present and worried about the future. Just over a year ago was the introduction of a worldwide public health emergency (COVID-19), political unrest seems to be at an all-time high, unemployment is the worse it’s been in many countries around the world. Nearly one million have been displaced in Ethiopia and a swarm of locusts have threatened many crops in several different countries. Indeed, if there was ever a time to be worried, it is now.
In a book titled Redefining Anxiety the author writes: “Currently in the United States, anxiety affects more than forty million people and that number is only increasing and often highly under-reported.”
The good news is that we don’t have to remain captives to our worries, fears and anxieties. We’re reminded that we can give our burdens to God because He cares for our well-being. God wants us to give Him our anxieties while He gives us His peace and we’re told exactly how to make the exchange.
First, we are to assume an attitude of humility. To be humble means not to be proud or haughty. In other words we are to forfeit the erroneous idea that we have everything under control and accept that we need help. This is difficult for a proud person to admit even when the evidence is written in the sky for all to see. Nevertheless, we can trust that our heavenly Father will not use our humbleness against us.
Secondly, we are to express our worries, concerns and fears to our heavenly Father. This is not as simple as it seems because some of us have become so accustomed to holding our honest feelings and thoughts within for so long that we refuse to even share them with God.
He is empathetic towards us and wants to teach us how to trust Him in this way. It has been proven that when we discuss issues with others we feel better and think clearer. The same effect takes place when we express the cares of our hearts in writing such as journaling. Our heavenly Father wants us to trust Him as our private audience (prayer) and invites us to express ourselves in writing (if we prefer this method) as though He is the One who’s going to read it.
Quoting again from the book Redefining Anxiety the author states: “Getting your thoughts out of your head and on to paper will help you determine what is true and what is not.”
Remember, we can’t do God’s job for Him and He can’t do our job for us. Our job is to trust and rest in His love while His job is to provide for our needs and confirm He is trustworthy.
One of my favorite authors put it this way: “Worry is blind and cannot discern the future but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet.” DOA 330.1
Father in heaven, please teach us how to let go of the burdens we’re carrying and release them to You. Amen.