Humble yourselves [by] casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.

The commands of scripture expose both the deficiencies and rebellion of our flesh. If Peter is urging us to humble ourselves by casting our anxieties onto God, it must be because we are bad at doing it. But the practice of casting anxiety isn’t something completely forgien to us. After all, having been children ourselves, having our own children, or seeing children around us, we know the experience of running towards parents in times of need (which is why the bible also tells us that we must be like children). However, in growing up we also grow out of this reflex and become more earners and less casters. From getting allowances for our chores, to good grades and degrees for studying, to receiving wages for our work… we are so wired to want to acquire things, even God’s help.

Being recently married, I am not too far removed from the experience of planning a wedding. The internet says that the average time it takes to plan/prepare is 13 to 18 months… but we gave ourselves 3. So the equation of never having been married (lack of planning experience) + time crunch = stress, pressure, and anxiety. Why is everything so expensive?? You really want that font? When are they going to get back to us? THERE’S NO TIME!

Of course we wanted to make the day special, but getting wrapped up in all the specifics and preparation led us to a Martha distraction from the fact that it was only God’s presence that could make it truly significant. In the moment, as fresh waves of anxiety hit, our knee jerk reaction was to be more diligent, organize better, exercise more financial prudence, try harder, etc. Our own execution felt like the more real mover towards a memorable wedding and not the practice of humbling ourselves by casting it all on the Lord and knowing his care for us.

So again, Peter calls us to cast because he knows that we are inclined to work for things… and we get anxious when we try to earn rather than receive. Even in the Kingdom life, we can so easily make it about serving God, as if he needed us. At the core of it, we don’t serve God, He serves us - have you been served by God today?