Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. – 1Peter 5:7 (NRSV)
What anxiety do you have right now? Have you tried to give it to God? Do you believe God cares? What happens when you feel God actually take your anxieties?
The following story was e-mailed to me:
I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse. He had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, the electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me to meet his family.
As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.
When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterwards he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."
"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."
Sometimes just not holding on to all of our worries to enjoy the gifts God has given us means that we have given God our anxieties. When we worry it is hard to love others as we should. I don’t know if we should have a tree like in the story, but God knows we should have a prayer and go rejoice in those we love, praise the beauty that there is, and hope that tomorrow can be better. Peter was right, cast your anxieties upon him, because he cares for you.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Remaining Calm When God Fights
“You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for you.” – Exodus 14:14 (NCV)
Are you weary? Have the times been rough? Is the stress getting to you? Have you tried to remain calm? Has God fought for you before? Do you believe that God will fight for you again?
The Associated Press just wrote an article about a study which found that the youth of today (High School and College students) are five times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than youth of the Great Depression Era. Apparently today’s youth have such high expectations for success that the stress to meet those expectations is overwhelming. Looking out at things I am sure that it is not just the youth.
Our expectations for success say that we should each be rich, all have whatever we want whenever we want, have big homes, drive big cars, and all the rest. When these grandiose expectations are not met our existence seems shattered, and then we try to cope with our shattered dreams. Today it is harder to cope than ever before because God is so rarely kept at the forefront of our hearts and minds. We prefer to blame than to pray. We would rather be consumed in anger than ask for peace. We would assume sit in depression than seek the only path to joy.
It is not the success that culture prescribes that promises us peace, it is Jesus Christ who promises us peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” It was this promise that let Paul joyously proclaim, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” even as he sat in prison. And it was this promise of God’s that let Moses confidently say to a nervous nation, “You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for you,” as they saw all the might of Egypt descend upon them.
Putting our faith in Jesus means that we stop putting faith in the promises of the world. The higher rates of anxiety and depression are reason enough to turn to Jesus. We are not meant to go through life scared and alone, stressing out about empty promises that we cannot control. God still runs after us offering a new life, a different life, and a life where we can remain calm and know that somehow, someway God is control and fighting for us. Today let us pray for that life!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Are you weary? Have the times been rough? Is the stress getting to you? Have you tried to remain calm? Has God fought for you before? Do you believe that God will fight for you again?
The Associated Press just wrote an article about a study which found that the youth of today (High School and College students) are five times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than youth of the Great Depression Era. Apparently today’s youth have such high expectations for success that the stress to meet those expectations is overwhelming. Looking out at things I am sure that it is not just the youth.
Our expectations for success say that we should each be rich, all have whatever we want whenever we want, have big homes, drive big cars, and all the rest. When these grandiose expectations are not met our existence seems shattered, and then we try to cope with our shattered dreams. Today it is harder to cope than ever before because God is so rarely kept at the forefront of our hearts and minds. We prefer to blame than to pray. We would rather be consumed in anger than ask for peace. We would assume sit in depression than seek the only path to joy.
It is not the success that culture prescribes that promises us peace, it is Jesus Christ who promises us peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” It was this promise that let Paul joyously proclaim, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” even as he sat in prison. And it was this promise of God’s that let Moses confidently say to a nervous nation, “You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for you,” as they saw all the might of Egypt descend upon them.
Putting our faith in Jesus means that we stop putting faith in the promises of the world. The higher rates of anxiety and depression are reason enough to turn to Jesus. We are not meant to go through life scared and alone, stressing out about empty promises that we cannot control. God still runs after us offering a new life, a different life, and a life where we can remain calm and know that somehow, someway God is control and fighting for us. Today let us pray for that life!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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