July 26th, 2021
By Lani Cole-Mitchell
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt. You in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-7
Anxiety. It’s a real thing, friends. I know the word anxiety sometimes has a negative connotation when we think of mental health, however, the truth is that we, as humans, have anxiety. We worry. We worry about our families, our jobs, money, our health, making hard choices, the future….we worry. Let me share a secret with you….it’s normal! We all worry in some way or another!
As someone who believes in Christ, we often even worry about why we are feeling this way? Shouldn’t I be trusting God in all situations and placing every burden in His hands? It’s easier said than done! I believe that when God created us, he intentionally didn’t create us with an owner’s manual detailing how to go about each instance in our life with explicit instructions and answers to every question. We were created with free will, the ability to make choices and learn from them whether they were right or wrong in that time of our lives. We were blessed with the ability to learn from each other in our everyday relationships and from those we are in community with; to grow in our faith and encourage and support one another.
It reminds me of the time when my daughter was born prematurely. It was the single most terrifying time of my life. The constant “what if’s” circling in my head each night as I tried to sleep knowing my daughter was in an incubator, surrounded by machines that were breathing for her and assisting with her eating, at a hospital 15 minutes away from my home with the reality looming over that anything can happen in those 15 minutes if I needed to be there immediately. It was those moments of anxiousness and doubt where I found God met me where I needed him most. Through prayer and scripture I found comfort. The hardest thing was to let God be in control, not me.
Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where you were wrestling with God to be in control of a situation you had no need to be in control of? How were you feeling in those moments? Angry? Upset? Anxious?
This brings me to 2 passages in Isaiah for you to reflect upon:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” - Isaiah 43:2
“Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.” - Isaiah 43:4
“YOU ARE PRECIOUS IN MY SIGHT, AND HONORED, AND I LOVE YOU.” Those words right there should bring you comfort in those times when you are worrying and anxious and feeling like you need to be in control. We have a God that actively pursues us, who loves us so fiercely and honors who we are, his children. There is nothing too big for our God. He’s got us. He holds us in the palm of His hands. He carries us when we think we are alone. That’s the amazing God that we have in our lives!! Whether you are a seasoned Christian, or just coming to faith, that love of God is constant, unending, and will never change. When we embrace that love of God, we learn to trust God in our lives.
My encouragement and prayer for you all this week is to take all of the anxiety you have in your life and write it down on a piece of paper. Find a quiet place and reflect on it. You can even play “Trust In You” by Lauren Daigle and allow these words to wash over you as you reflect.
Ask yourself the following questions:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt. You in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-7
Anxiety. It’s a real thing, friends. I know the word anxiety sometimes has a negative connotation when we think of mental health, however, the truth is that we, as humans, have anxiety. We worry. We worry about our families, our jobs, money, our health, making hard choices, the future….we worry. Let me share a secret with you….it’s normal! We all worry in some way or another!
As someone who believes in Christ, we often even worry about why we are feeling this way? Shouldn’t I be trusting God in all situations and placing every burden in His hands? It’s easier said than done! I believe that when God created us, he intentionally didn’t create us with an owner’s manual detailing how to go about each instance in our life with explicit instructions and answers to every question. We were created with free will, the ability to make choices and learn from them whether they were right or wrong in that time of our lives. We were blessed with the ability to learn from each other in our everyday relationships and from those we are in community with; to grow in our faith and encourage and support one another.
It reminds me of the time when my daughter was born prematurely. It was the single most terrifying time of my life. The constant “what if’s” circling in my head each night as I tried to sleep knowing my daughter was in an incubator, surrounded by machines that were breathing for her and assisting with her eating, at a hospital 15 minutes away from my home with the reality looming over that anything can happen in those 15 minutes if I needed to be there immediately. It was those moments of anxiousness and doubt where I found God met me where I needed him most. Through prayer and scripture I found comfort. The hardest thing was to let God be in control, not me.
Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where you were wrestling with God to be in control of a situation you had no need to be in control of? How were you feeling in those moments? Angry? Upset? Anxious?
This brings me to 2 passages in Isaiah for you to reflect upon:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” - Isaiah 43:2
“Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.” - Isaiah 43:4
“YOU ARE PRECIOUS IN MY SIGHT, AND HONORED, AND I LOVE YOU.” Those words right there should bring you comfort in those times when you are worrying and anxious and feeling like you need to be in control. We have a God that actively pursues us, who loves us so fiercely and honors who we are, his children. There is nothing too big for our God. He’s got us. He holds us in the palm of His hands. He carries us when we think we are alone. That’s the amazing God that we have in our lives!! Whether you are a seasoned Christian, or just coming to faith, that love of God is constant, unending, and will never change. When we embrace that love of God, we learn to trust God in our lives.
My encouragement and prayer for you all this week is to take all of the anxiety you have in your life and write it down on a piece of paper. Find a quiet place and reflect on it. You can even play “Trust In You” by Lauren Daigle and allow these words to wash over you as you reflect.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why are these anxieties burdening my heart?
- Is this something I can control or is it bigger than me?
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