Preachers aren’t perfect, you know.  We have struggles like everyone else.  Being a pastor is a position of leadership in the church but not an exemption from the issues of life.  I struggle with anxiety often and feelings of insecurity often as well. I worry that I have not done enough or done things well enough.  I have a fear of failing even though I have failed a lot of my life. You might think it wouldn’t bother me by now, but it still does. All of this creates worry and anxiety.

At our church in San Antonio, we have a huge Fall Fest every year.  Every year, we have well over a thousand people show up and we always run out of room for parking.  It is a very effective and successful event. I remember the very first year we did it and how even up until 30 minutes before I was filled with this thought, “What if no one shows up?”  And to this day, up until that time, that fearful thought tries to worm its way into my mind.  

What do you do when you are overwhelmed with fear and anxiety?  Well, that brings us to our Verse of the Day:

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

So simple to say, yet the process of releasing our anxiety can be excruciating and often, unsuccessful.  Peter is trying to help us.

Peter’s discourse is actually helping us to understand the significance of worry.  He writes about it in the context of our need to humble ourselves. Worry and anxiety then is a form of pride.  Worry and anxiety is our posture of owning the responsibilities for our problems as if we do not have a God who is personally involved in our life, ready and wanting to help us.  He is our ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Anxiety is the strong effort of our sinful nature to dismiss God as our help while exalting us to the place of caretaker of our own life.  I don’t know about you, but my life is too complicated and bewildering for me to even think I can care for myself. I need His help.

Knowing I need His help and casting my anxiety on Him can be worlds apart.  Casting our anxiety is not asking for solutions, miracles, or the moving of mountains.  Casting our anxiety on Him is simply to acknowledge to Him that we are afraid and nervous about what is going on while reminding ourself that He is our Caretaker and He will certainly take care of us.  Still, hard to do in the moment. But Peter helps us with this last phrase:

“Because He cares for you.”

The word ‘care’ here means to concern oneself.  God has actively put His heart upon us and concerned Himself with our plight.  This is our motivation. Our ability to cast our cares upon the Lord comes from the faith that He cares for you.  He does not simply want us to succeed and overcome, but He is fully aware our of ineptness to succeed. He knows we need help and He loves us like a father loves his little boy or a mother loves her little girl.  He truly cares for us. We can trust Him. Cast your anxiety upon Him and let Him help you.

Psalms 40:17

As for me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

do not delay, O my God!

What are you worried about right now?  Leave a comment and let me pray for you.  And don’t forget if you have questions, please join my private Facebook Group and ask your questions.  If you want it to be anonymous, you can reply to this email or message me on Facebook.

Live Blessed and Be a Blessing!