Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 ESV
“$147 dollars an hour,” she replied when I asked how much the first session would cost. I was in the library with my son at the time and nearly fell out of the toddler chair as he played with cars on the floor below. All I could mutter back was, “Wow. That’s really expensive.”
“Divorce is more expensive. Consider it an investment in your marriage.”
My mind raced with ideas for how we would set aside the money. Quick math revealed that was over $500 a month—certainly no small change for a stay-at-home mom trying to stick to a budget. My thoughts were interrupted by the counselor’s voice telling me I could submit for reimbursement to my insurance company under the mental health code for anxiety.
“How do you know I have anxiety?” I asked. Based on our conversation and my symptoms—sleepless nights, tightness in my chest, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and feeling overwhelmed—she said she could tell. My code was F43.22 – Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety, which occurs when individuals are unable to adequately cope with particular stressors or major life events, such as the death of a loved one, relationship issues, or loss of or change in career. At this particular time in my life I had a 2, 4, and 6 year-old. I had left a successful career to be a full-time mom and my marriage was falling apart. It didn’t matter that the counselor cost $147/hour—I knew we needed to do something. (This was over four years ago, God did provide, and my husband and I have since grown closer to the Lord and each other!)
Adjustment disorder with anxiety is sometimes referred to as situational depression because it generally resolves once the individual is able to adapt. However, the problem is, new stressors always arrive. I think we can all attest to that!
Over the past two years, I have faced unexpected health issues that have resulted in chronic pain, worry, and a whole lot of prayer. I keep casting my anxieties on the Lord, as directed in 1 Peter 5:7, but sometimes it feels like I’m just reeling them back in. Can you relate?
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
It’s like I’m handing all my worries over to God and He’s saying, “Okay, I’ll take these few about the corona virus, our country, and your kids, but you keep this one here about your health.” (In actuality, I just wouldn’t let go of the last one, but more on that later…)
What was I doing wrong?
Through further examination of this verse, combined with a powerful sermon by Pastor Steven Furtick titled, When Anxiety Attacks, God showed me a life-changing discovery about the connection between pride and anxiety.
When we look at 1 Peter 5:7 in context we find that the sentence that precedes, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” in the NIV version is “humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” However, in the original Greek text (as well as some modern translations, including KJV and ESV), they are actually one sentence:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so at the proper time he will exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.”
“Casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you,” is an example of a subordinate, or dependent, clause. On its own, it does not form a complete sentence. It is conditional upon the main clause (in this case, “humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God…”) to complete the thought.
In other words, our ability to cast all our anxieties on God is dependent upon our ability to humble ourselves. This relationship is not to be ignored, but further explored because, for some of us, it may be the key to finally ridding ourselves of anxiety!
The extent to which we are able to humble ourselves before the Lord, surrender control, and release our grip on what we think is best is directly correlated to our ability to cast our anxieties on God and not reel them back in. Quoting the second part of this passage (i.e. cast your all your anxieties on Him because he cares for you) out of context gives us false hope that we can be worry-free without the responsibility of first examining ourselves.
It wasn’t that God wouldn’t take my health issues like He would my worries about the pandemic or state of our country—it was that I hadn’t stopped trying to control them. It takes a humble attitude to give it all to God, not hold back any pieces, and resist the urge to reel them back in. It requires a level of trust that the God of the universe knows best, even when life doesn’t align with our plan.
At the very core of anxiety is a concern that we won’t be dealt the hand we want by God. If you have anxiety about your health, you might be concerned you’re going to receive a bad diagnosis. If you have anxiety about your kids, you might be concerned that their education, circle of friends, or decision-making is not what is best for them. If you have anxiety about your financial security, you might doubt God’s promise to supply all your needs (Phil 4:19).
As I heard once on SHINE FM, a Christian radio station, “We can either worry or we can trust God, but we can’t do both at the same time.”
I’ve seen God’s hand at work in this season to bring hope and healing to others. I’ve found unexpected treasures of gratitude and joy as I’ve drawn closer to Jesus in my pain. But would I say chronic pain is what’s best for me and my family?
If I’m honest, probably not. Pain places limitations on my ability to run and play with my kids. It makes driving, writing, mealtime, and activities that require prolonged sitting difficult. Some nights I’m so exhausted from managing the pain and side effects of the medication that quality time with my husband is cut short. Other days I feel like my physical body is twice my actual age.
How is this what’s best?
Perhaps some of you share the same faulty belief that what we want must be what’s best and, therefore, we know better than God. We certainly wouldn’t phrase it that way, but we’ve convinced ourselves that a good God would want to fully heal and restore us. After all, His Word tells us “after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us” (1 Peter 5:10).
(Click here to read my post, From Hardship to Healing – Inviting Pain to Propel Us Toward Wholeness, for information on how “healing” may look different than we imagined.)
God’s promise to heal and restore us holds true, but we are no more qualified to define “a little while” in the context of eternity than we are to know His greater plan.
God is less concerned with our happiness than our holiness. His “best” is for us to be transformed into the image of Jesus. Christ left heaven, where He was highly esteemed and held a position of great authority, to come down to earth as a suffering servant and sacrifice His life for us. This is the ultimate portrayal of humility.
To emulate the humility of Jesus is to prioritize God’s will over our desires, even when it’s difficult or painful. It means valuing others above ourselves, being careful to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (Philippians 2:3). And it means setting aside attitudes of superiority or entitlement to embrace a life of servitude.
If we catch ourselves saying, “I’m a good person. I follow Jesus. I don’t deserve this and/or I have a right to know what’s going on,” we have a spirit of entitlement. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and our guilt deserves death. It is because of the Lord’s faithful love that we do not perish, for his mercies never end (Lamentations 3:22 CSB).
If we catch ourselves questioning God, accusing Him of being unjust, or claiming to know His purpose behind our pain, it is likely we have a spirit of superiority. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways, but we can trust that He will work all things for good of those who love Him and that He is growing and shaping us through this (Isaiah 55:9, Romans 8:28). K.J. Ramsey, author of This Too Shall Last says, “Searching hard for what God might be teaching us is more indicative of anxiety than faith.” She goes on to say, “Grasping to find the purpose in your pain may be the very thing preventing you from experiencing comfort and even transformation in your suffering.”
Perhaps God’s timing doesn’t line up with your plan, so, like Abram and Sarai, you have decided to take matters into your own hands. This indicates a lack of trust and spirit of control. To find peace, we must surrender it all—our fears, expectations, self-reliance, and pride—to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). In the words of Pastor Steven Furtick, “I’ve been trying to cast my anxieties and keep my pride. But the thing about it is—you need to know—that the pride and the anxiety come in the same package. So, if you insist on doing it your way, then expect to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders because it is.”
Before God can take our anxiety, we must strip off our pride, surrender our plan, and restore Him to the rightful position on the throne of our lives. We have to let go of the “what ifs” to embrace “what is” to the best of our ability, leaning on Christ’s strength to persevere.
Let us clothe ourselves with humility, for God shows favor to the humble (1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6). Proverbs 29:23 tells us, “pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.” God looks kindly upon those who recognize their dependence before Him, use their God-given talents to serve others, and let go of living for themselves.
Since you’re reading this post, you are already on the right path—admitting that anxiety is an area of struggle. In acknowledging worry and fear as weaknesses, you are stripping off the pride that prevents us from loosening our grip.
It’s time to unclench our fists.
It’s time to trust that God knows best, even when life doesn’t go as we planned or as we had hoped.
Let’s ask God for help to eliminate worldly attachments to perfect health, possessions, our professions, or anything else.
Expect God will supply your every need (because He promises to do so and His Word never returns void).
Then, hand it ALL over to Him.
With open hands, be ready to receive whatever God has for you. It may not be the easiest road to travel (Jesus even tells us, in this world, we will have trouble), but it will be filled with God’s blessings.
Rest in the truth that God cares for and loves you. Welcome His peace that surpasses all understanding. Then, repeat this process as often as necessary to cultivate a moment-by-moment dependence on the Lord for peace.
Your situation may not change, but you will. Filled with God’s perfect love, there is no room for fear (1 John 4:18 NLT).
Call To Action: To reclaim the peace and joy of Jesus, download my free e-book, Chasing Joy – A 5-Part Study on the Book of Philippians to Find Peace and Joy That Lasts. It can be worked through at your own pace, individually, or with a small group. Like Paul, we can find joy in the midst of trials and be content whatever our circumstances. Download your free Chasing Joy Bible Study to find out how!
3 thoughts on “Why We Keep Casting Our Anxiety on the Lord And Reeling It Back In”
Jen,
It’s easy to say I cast my cares on God. But we are a people who like to be in control of everything. Thus comes pride- a product of the evil one. We also don’t like to wait on the unknown. Fear of the unknown is a major cause of anxiety. We need to trust God completely to handle ALL situations. Know that in His perfect timing He will bring about solutions to our problems.
Blessings 🙂
Beth, Thank you for your wise words. I think a big source is anxiety is worrying that His “solution” will be different than what we would have chosen for ourselves. It’s about learning how to surrender our desires and seek His will above all else. I am grateful for women like you who speak truth and encouragement!