Text: 1 Peter 5:1-7
OPEN:
It's human to worry, and being human is not sinful. But it can definitely be unhealthy and even devastating if our humanness doesn't lead to a closer connection to the Son of Man.
The Father intends for his children to be worry-free.
I. HUMILITY IS REQUIRED TO BE WORRY-FREE (vv.5-6).
First statement about humility has to do with human relationships: "And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"(v.5)
Second statement about humility has to do with our relationship with God: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God..." (v.6a).
1. Humility is Closely Connected to Anxiety.
The reason Peter deals with the problem of anxiety is because he is dealing with the problem of humility. Somehow the command for humility makes the command to cast our anxiety on God more urgent, more necessary.
The point is that casting your anxiety on God is somehow part humbling yourself. Casting your anxiety on God is not a separate thing you do after you humble yourself; it’s something you do in order to humble yourself
2. What Does it Mean to be Humble?
The statement "clothe yourself" is literally "tie on an apron." Peter may have in mind a slave's apron that is tied on with its attached strings, or he may have in mind that act of Jesus' in the upper room when he tied on an apron and washed the disciples' feet and performed a slave's service.
When connected to the command that follows to live anxiety-free, Humility means that when you’ve made a mistake, you admit it and say you’re sorry.
It means when you are weak or sick or inadequate for a task, not being too proud to ask for help.
It takes humility to admit your need, to recognize God cares, and to let God and others in God’s family help you.
3. Humility acknowledges that God knows best.
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time."
Submit myself to God's authority and trust that he knows best for me. When the time is right, I will see the visible answer to my silent cries.
II. GOD WANTS TO BE OUR BURDEN BEARER (v.7).
(Peter is quoting from the Septuagint version of Psalm 55:22)
1. Now what does it mean to cast your anxiety on God? How do I do that?
1) Anxiety is essentially a loss of confidence.
The word anxiety in the Greek is mermna and means "worry as when one does not know whether to do this or that, distraction."
We have the same word used in Luke 10:41: "Martha was distracted by all she wanted to do, not knowing to what to turn her hand and in desperation going to Jesus to have him order Mary to help her."
“Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all others thoughts are drained.” (Arthur Somers Roche)
2) Anxiety/worry plagues me when I lose confidence in God and myself because of my present circumstances.
This is Peter walking on the water, and then shifting his focus onto the boisterous waves and fierce winds. The moment his focus shifted from Jesus and he allowed himself to be distracted by his circumstances, he immediately began to drown and cried out in desperation for Jesus to rescue him.
I become a nervous wreck when I begin to think everything depends on me and that I'm inadequate for the task. Either I lose sight of God, or I refuse to trust his ability & willingness to help.
2. The secret to living worry-free is trust & release.
The word “casting” (epiripto) in verse 7 occurs only one other time in exactly the same form in the New Testament – in Luke 19:35. “They brought it to Jesus, and casting their garments on the colt, they set Jesus on it.”
So, the meaning is simple and straight forward: if you are carrying something and you want an animal to carry it for you, you “cast” the item on the animal. In this way, you don’t carry it any more. It’s on the animal, not on you. The donkey works for you and lifts your load.
1) God is willing to carry your anxieties the same way a donkey carries your baggage.
Mt 11:28, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Ps 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.”
Is 46:4, “Even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save."
2) The critical thing is that after saddling God with your burden, you leave it there.
Many of us are good about bringing our burdens, problems, heartaches, illnesses, etc., to the Lord, but we take them back and walk away with them. Nothing changes, except that I may be even more frustrated, feeling like God doesn't care and that he can't help.
3) God wants to be your burden bearer because it demonstrates His power and puts Him in a class by Himself.
Is 64:4, “from of old no one has hear or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for Him.”
2. Practically, how do you do that?
You do it by trusting the second half of verse 7 very specifically in relation to your specific anxiety. The first half of verse 7 says, “casting all your anxiety on him . . .” and the second half says, “. . . because he cares for you.”
How do you practically make the anxiety transfer from your back to God’s back? The answer is: trust that he cares for you. Believe this promise. Trust Him. It’s a matter of practical trust.
Parallel Passage: Philippians 4:6: "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
So often we trust God in the abstract. Yes, he is a trustworthy God. Yes, he can save sinners in general. Yes, hypothetically he will work it all out; generally speaking, he is on the side of what's for my good. But this text means, lay your specific anxiety on God. Trust him specifically that he cares about you.
When it says that he cares, it means he will not stand by and let things develop without his influence. It means he will act. He will work; not always the way we would choose. But he will do what is right for us and for his name’s sake.
Here’s the important key: once you cast your cares/anxiety on the Lord, leave them there.
CLOSE:
The Father intends for his children to live worry-free.
Casting your anxiety on God means trusting him for handling this specific situation, putting the burden on his back, leaving it there and walking away.
What burden is eating away at you today?
What care is so heavy you’re stumbling under the weight and are in danger of being crushed by it?
Lay it down today – place it on the back of a God who cares and will act in your best interest.
I challenge you to come to this alter and cast your care/burden upon God today; then get up and leave it at the altar.
(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)
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