Cast (anxiety) Away

One thing is certain, trouble will come. This is something that I can say with great confidence without any guesswork because that is what Christ guarantees... trouble will come (Jn 16:33). But He also assures us that He already overcame. Amen.

Did you know that the word used for "anxiety" in 1 Peter 5:7 literally means "in pieces; and not whole." And if you think about how anxiety feels, that description makes perfect sense. Anxiety makes us scatter-brained, divided, and confused. It is why we say things like, "Hold yourself together," or "Pull yourself together." Because in a real sense we understand that we are inwardly falling apart.

But there is a cure for this condition. Peter, yes Peter. The same Peter who knows quite a bit about anxiety. The one who walked on water and sank when He took his eyes off Jesus. The one who promised that He would follow Christ unto death and then denied Him under the pressure from couple servant girls. That Peter. He gained something profound after the resurrection. The risen Lord gave him unwavering assurance that Jesus was who He said He was, and that He would do all that He said He would do. And based on the certainty of these two facts, Peter can say to us "Cast all your anxiety (broken pieces) onto Him. Why? Because He is still risen. And He still cares.

And that's the part that the enemy does not want you to believe. One, that Jesus rose. And two, that Jesus cares. We don't often think about the resurrection until Easter (and yes, I know all about the pagan associations, but that's for another post), but His rising was the validation of the cross' efficacy. And because faith in the resurrection is what makes us Christians and the event itself is what makes Jesus' claims to be God fully verified like an Instagram account, it tells us that EVERYTHING He said is true. Including His love for us. Especially His love for us.

So, I cast my anxiety on Him as the Scripture says. Don't let your baggage pile up, and stop walking around with it. Take Him your checked bags, carry ons and your personals and move through life unhindered. Pray, seek godly counsel, talk to your pastor, read your Word, and confess your sin. And actually start with that last one. Remember that "whoever says they are without sin is calling God a liar, and the truth is not in them." Not my words, blame John for that (1 John 1:10).

Hebrews tells us to set aside the sin that so easily entangles us (Heb 12:1). This is a fact that is easy to see if there ever was one. Sin easily entangles. What is not so easy to see is how the root cause of our anxiety is actually a faith issue. Whether it is an issue of unbelief, or just wrong belief about God, both are ultimately a sin issue. After all it was Eve's wrong belief about God that led her into sin, and it was Adam's unbelief that God would follow through on His promise to punish disobedience with death that led him to eat. And that is a "death benefit" that the whole world is still reaping today, save for the cross of Christ.

So what can worry and anxiety teach us about us? Anxiety can become a tool that reveals the gap between what I believe about God (i.e His character and nature), and what God says about Himself. This seems simple, but it is nonetheless true. In this way, anxiety can actually serve as a spiritual check engine light. Anxiety tells us that something is wrong with how I am understanding Who God really is. It affords me the opportunity to turn to His Word to seek out the truth of Who He is, and to close the gap between how I am perceiving Him and Who He has revealed Himself to be. The more accurately I understand Who He is, the less room I give for anxiety to take hold.

Now what can we do? Whatever you're carrying just stop. Trust Christ with it. Cast your anxieties on Him. Give no more thought to giving Him your heaviness than you would setting your bags down on a mountain. The Mountain will be fine. Your bags cannot break Him but they just might break you.

Lastly, use your worry to point out wherever you have doubts about God. The beauty is that God already knows we have them, He just wants us to know we have them! And He is patient, and gracious, and merciful, and loving, and faithful. We may be rebuked for having "little faith", but a little is not nothing. And if we are honest enough, we can ask him like the father of the demon possessed boy, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief. (Mark 9:24)"

Dear Heavenly Father,

Reveal any unbelief I have that is making space for this anxiety. Help me close the gap between the where I perceive you incorrectly and who You actually are. Allow my doubts and fears to drive me to Your perfect Word, and help me to trust in that more than any other source that promises to fix my anxiety. Help me to know that anything else must be a servant of Your Word and never a replacement. Help me to let it go God. In Jesus Name, amen.

From God. Through you. To everyone.