From Pastor Charles:
Several years ago I was at AutoZone getting some parts with a church member. When we went to check out, he offered to pay for my parts along with his purchase. I quickly objected, saying he didn't have to buy parts for my car. Sometimes I face a similar situation with my worries and anxieties. I hesitate to accept God's offer to take them. Do you ever feel like that? Do you feel out of place taking all your concerns to the Creator of the universe? Do you feel like He can't be bothered with your worries or that your concerns are not worthy of His attention? Here is an amazing truth: God not only offers to take our anxieties from us; God actually commands that we give our worries to Him. The Apostle Peter writes,
"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 5:6-7 (ESV)
If grammar was not your favorite subject in school, take heart: your scholastic suffering served a purpose and can actually help you understand what God is saying to you! Notice the grammar of this sentence. The command humble yourselves is the main verb. The phrase casting all your anxieties on him is a participial phrase that modifies the main verb humble. The English grammar of this sentence accurately reflects the grammar of the original Greek. Why is this important? The grammar matters because Peter us telling us how we humble ourselves before God: we obey the command to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand by casting all our anxieties on Him!
But wait a minute! What does anxiety have to do with pride? New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner helps our understanding:
"Worry is a form of pride because when believers are filled with anxiety, they are convinced that they must solve all the problems in their lives in their own strength. The only god they trust in is themselves. When believers throw their worries upon God, they express their trust in his mighty hand, acknowledging that he is Lord and Sovereign over all of life."[1]
When we cast our anxieties on God, we are confessing, 'God I am too small, too weak, too finite to carry these burdens. I surrender them to You. You are big and I am small, and I desperately need You."
What a liberating truth! God gets glorified as the All-powerful, All-knowing God that He is, and we get the relief, the peace, and the joy that comes from trusting in Him.
Don't miss that last little phrase, either. God cares for you. God is not just powerful; He also loves us and cares for us. When circumstances don't make sense, we can trust His character. His love for us was demonstrated for all time on the cross.
What anxieties are you carrying around today? You and I are too small to carry them. Humble yourselves and cast them on God. He will be honored as Lord, and you will get the joy, peace, and comfort that only He can give.
[1] Schreiner, Thomas R. The New American Commentary: Volume 37, 1,2 Peter, Jude, p241, 2003.
Several years ago I was at AutoZone getting some parts with a church member. When we went to check out, he offered to pay for my parts along with his purchase. I quickly objected, saying he didn't have to buy parts for my car. Sometimes I face a similar situation with my worries and anxieties. I hesitate to accept God's offer to take them. Do you ever feel like that? Do you feel out of place taking all your concerns to the Creator of the universe? Do you feel like He can't be bothered with your worries or that your concerns are not worthy of His attention? Here is an amazing truth: God not only offers to take our anxieties from us; God actually commands that we give our worries to Him. The Apostle Peter writes,
"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 5:6-7 (ESV)
If grammar was not your favorite subject in school, take heart: your scholastic suffering served a purpose and can actually help you understand what God is saying to you! Notice the grammar of this sentence. The command humble yourselves is the main verb. The phrase casting all your anxieties on him is a participial phrase that modifies the main verb humble. The English grammar of this sentence accurately reflects the grammar of the original Greek. Why is this important? The grammar matters because Peter us telling us how we humble ourselves before God: we obey the command to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand by casting all our anxieties on Him!
But wait a minute! What does anxiety have to do with pride? New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner helps our understanding:
"Worry is a form of pride because when believers are filled with anxiety, they are convinced that they must solve all the problems in their lives in their own strength. The only god they trust in is themselves. When believers throw their worries upon God, they express their trust in his mighty hand, acknowledging that he is Lord and Sovereign over all of life."[1]
When we cast our anxieties on God, we are confessing, 'God I am too small, too weak, too finite to carry these burdens. I surrender them to You. You are big and I am small, and I desperately need You."
What a liberating truth! God gets glorified as the All-powerful, All-knowing God that He is, and we get the relief, the peace, and the joy that comes from trusting in Him.
Don't miss that last little phrase, either. God cares for you. God is not just powerful; He also loves us and cares for us. When circumstances don't make sense, we can trust His character. His love for us was demonstrated for all time on the cross.
What anxieties are you carrying around today? You and I are too small to carry them. Humble yourselves and cast them on God. He will be honored as Lord, and you will get the joy, peace, and comfort that only He can give.
[1] Schreiner, Thomas R. The New American Commentary: Volume 37, 1,2 Peter, Jude, p241, 2003.
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