Seized to Be A Caster of Anxiety

Key Verse

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Short Reflection

Christie and I have traveled to some terrifying places: war zones, guerilla controlled areas, refugee camps, and more. People ask, “Have you ever been afraid?” Perhaps they expect us to say “No. We just trust the Lord and never think about danger.”

Such an answer would be a complete lie. My imagination can create fears galore: robbery, car accident, terrorism, illness, not to mention plane connections and lost luggage!

“Don’t be afraid!” appears throughout the Bible, but does this mean we should never think about potential dangers?

I’m comforted when the Psalmist writes, “When [not if] I am afraid, I will trust in you.” The biblical mandate is more, “Don’t let your fears rule you” than it is “Don’t think seriously about the risks you’re taking.”

As we run the race of following Jesus, perhaps nothing can entangle us as much as fear. Fear of the unknown, worrying about finances, anxiety about yielding control of our circumstances can all derail us from a life of faith and trust.

Can we prevent our fears and anxieties from entangling us? I Peter 5:7 uses the imperative: “Cast.” Paul writes to the Philippians “pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6-7). The psalmist writes, “I will trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).

Our response to the unknown and the uncontrollable: take the initiative. Talk to God openly and honestly. Cast all concerns to the one who cares. Combat fear by remembering that he is always with us.

Jesus has seized you to be a caster of anxiety!

This is the fifth in the “Seized to Be An Unentangled Runner” series of blog posts and is a special submission from Paul Borthwick, a long-term friend of PEER Servants, who serves with his wife Christie on the staff with Development Associates International.