The Worry Monster
I know the verse. It permeates my mind when I am in distress. My head knows what it says, yet why can’t I internalize it?
1 Peter 5:7 starts out with these precious words – “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
The operative word here is “all”. God wants us to lay all those anxious thoughts at the foot of the Cross. So why does the worry monster take control of our lives instead? Why is it often so difficult to trust God and His promises in times of challenge and adversity?
Right now, there are a few things in life that are causing me distress. The big ones are out of my control – rising cost of living, job uncertainty, and another biopsy. I know God has a plan for me and that He is able to carry whatever burdens me. Yet, I fret and I fume and I let the small embers of distress escalate.
The devil loves to fan the flame of our worries and anxious thoughts. Peter knew this as he wrote this letter. Here is the entire verse:
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV)
Thankfully God provides a solution here in this verse. We are told to resist the devil and his efforts to sabotage our lives. This is the time to stand firm in the faith and to hold onto the promises of God. He will not abandon us no matter what life throws at us.
A part of dealing with the worry monster is being alert to the damage anxiety causes. When we recognize the things that lead us down the rabbit hole of stress and worry, with God’s help we can take steps to alleviate the burden upon us. It is a difficult process. Worry comes easy, often unbidden. In our humanness we want to see the plan and figure things out. We want to know what is ahead.
Will I ever completely stop worrying? I honestly don’t see that happening. Yet I can see that God will pick me up, hold me in His loving arms, and lead me through the challenging waters of this life. I know my loving Heavenly Father helps me pick up the pieces when parts of my life are shattered.
My friend, I don’t know what your life looks like today. Chances are, though, that you can probably make your own list of worries that like to creep in your life, like a thief trying to steal your joy.
Peter reminds us that all believers are facing these same challenges. We all have worries and concerns. We are stronger when we lean on each other and focus our eyes on Christ. I am so grateful for people in my life who point me back to Jesus when life turns upside-down.
In the days ahead we know that worries will keep resurfacing. That seems inevitable. Let us stand strong together and support one another as we trust in God to hold us close.
Take heart, and lean on the One who can carry all our anxieties and troubles. He is faithful.
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