Hear
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Believe
I’ve yet to meet a person who hasn’t worried at some point in their life. We all experience some kind of trials and tribulations. When they come, we spend a lot of brain time thinking about all the possible outcomes. Typically, most of those outcomes are bad.
The scenarios may be different for each of us, but the result is the same. We begin to worry about a future event and our emotions respond as if it is true. Maybe you tend to worry about money. Will I be able to send my children to college? What will happen if I lose my job? Will I have enough money to retire? Or you worry about personal issues. Am I good enough? Am I a good mother and wife? What do people think of me? No matter what the issue is that causes the worry, the cure is the same.
The Greek word for anxiety means this: to cause a disruption to the personality and to the mind. Excessive negative thinking about the future disrupts the mind. Dwelling on those negative thoughts leads to all other kinds of symptoms, like loss of sleep, headaches, nervousness and panic. And sometimes they generate an overwhelming sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
Peter knew all about this. He suffered daily as an apostle. He lived under the constant threat of persecution and even death. He had every right to be anxious. He learned a simple yet powerful truth to keep his mind at ease: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”.
For Peter, Jesus was his living hope. And he knew an eternal inheritance—one that could never spoil, perish or fade—was being preserved for him in heaven. This was his anchor. When the trials came, he entrusted himself to Jesus. He cast his cares on him, because he knew Jesus cared for him.
The same is true for you. Jesus is your living hope. Your future is guaranteed. Let this be your anchor when life throws its trials and tribulations your way. Cast your cares on Jesus. He is big enough to work through any trial and tribulation you encounter. This is what faith looks like, and this faith yields the fruit of peace and a mind that is at rest in him
Live
Is life throwing all kinds of trial and tribulations your way? If so, today remember Peter’s secret for experiencing peace. Cast you worry and anxiety on Jesus. He is big enough to walk you through any challenge in life and to turn those disruptive feelings into peace that passes all understanding.
