Anxiety
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:6-10.
Did you ever wonder why a passage dealing with anxious thoughts mentions Satan prowling like a roaring lion?
Worry can feel like an attack—we get torn up on the inside by fears, frustration, and helplessness.
Anxiety is a tormenting emotion, and today’s reading reminds us that the devil wields it skillfully.
But we don’t have to live with worry-
– because God closes the mouths of lions that threaten His followers. Dan. 6:22.
Peter described how to keep clear of anxiety’s jaws.
First-
Response!
We humble ourselves before God.
What causes worry is a sense of helplessness in a given situation-
– so the best response is yielding yourself to God,
– submitting to Him with the confidence that He has the power to control your life.
Second-
Realization!
Another thing that builds trust is the realization that God is always engineering circumstances for your good and His glory.Rom. 8:28.
Third-
Request!
Remember, prayer is a declaration of dependence.
When you humble yourself, you’re kneeling before omnipotent God.
And since nothing is a challenge for His power, the second step in casting cares on Him is the simple exercise of telling the Lord your troubles and then trusting Him to deal with them.
He assumes responsibility for meeting believers’ needs; your part is to prioritize obeying Him and living a righteous life. Matt. 6:31-33.
Lastly-
Remaining!
Resist Satan by remaining firm in faith.
In other words, don’t snatch those concerns out of God’s hands to worry over them anew.
When the devil’s ways make you tremble with anxiety-
– reject his lie and affirm that the Lord is adequate to handle the situation.
(PR)