1 Peter 5:7“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
I love how consistent and repetitive God’s Word is. Have you ever noticed that? I thank the Lord that it is! He knows our human hearts and tendencies and how we need to be constantly reminded of who He is and the way He designed us to live. I love how in both the Old and New Testaments we see a steady representation of the One True God and His faithful love towards His people. The way the Bible corroborates itself in these ways is one of the reasons I wanted to take a deep dive into common commands from Scripture. I’m excited to share with you how these commands demonstrate God’s never-changing character as well as His care for our individual lives.
Probably two of the most common commands from Scripture that we hear being used in sermons, books, Bible studies, and among Christian friends are “Don’t worry” and “Rejoice always.” And it makes sense that we use these commands and the passages they are taken from so frequently! Just think about it… does a single day go by without us worrying about something? Or how easy is it for us to slip into complaining rather than rejoicing in the mundane day-to-day happenings of our lives?
We see forms of these two commands repeatedly in the Old and New Testaments. These commands come in a variety of different forms and phrases, but the general principles remain. God commands us to 1) not worry and 2) rejoice always. But how are we supposed to not worry at all in life? How can we actually rejoice always? And what do these two commands teach us about the character of God? This week I will start answering these questions by delving deeper into the first of these two commands, “Don’t worry.” My next newsletter will continue on this topic by addressing the command to “Rejoice always.”
First, let’s look at some of the places in Scripture that contain different forms of the command, “Don’t worry,” and the contexts they come from:
Isaiah 41:10 - The context of God instructing the Israelites to not fear or dismay even in the midst of their suffering and captivity by the Babylonians. In this whole chapter, God is assuring the Israelite people that they can trust Him.”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Psalm 55:22 - Many commentators believe the context of this Psalm was when David was in danger during his son Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15-18). David is in great distress in this Psalm and has been betrayed by a trusted friend.”Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Matthew 6:25-34 - Jesus addresses worrying 5 different times in this passage from His Sermon on the Mount.“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?… And why do you worry about clothes?… So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
John 14:1, 27 - At the beginning and end of this beautiful chapter, Jesus comforts and teaches His disciples the night before His crucifixion. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me… Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
These are just a few of the Bible passages where God is commanding us to not worry, don’t be afraid, don’t be disheartened, do not dismay, or don’t be anxious. I actually struggled to find an accurate count of how many times these types of commands are in Scripture!
But the question about this command that I want to address is, how can God confidently command us to “not worry?” The simple answer is because He is in control over all things. It’s different when a loved one or friend encourages you to “not worry” when you’re about to face some difficult task or bad news in life. No matter how good their intentions are, they really cannot guarantee that you have nothing to worry about. They are not in control, and they don’t know the future. But when God’s Word tells us to “not worry,” we actually have reason to obey and trust that that is true. Why? Because God is sovereign over all (Job 42:2). He is more powerful than anyone or anything (Ephesians 1:19-21). He is ultimately wise (Romans 11:33-36). He is always good (Psalm 100:5). He loves justice and hates wrongdoing (Isaiah 61:8). He created the world, and He existed before it’s creation (Colossians 1:16). He knows how the story ends (Isaiah 46:10).
God never tells us to do something that He will not enable us to do (see Romans 8:32 and 1 Corinthians 10:13). That means when He tells us, “Don’t worry,” He will provide a way for us to trust Him instead of giving into worry or fear. That may mean humbling us until we let go of our desire for control and independence. It could also be God drawing us closer to Him, paving a path for us to run to His throne of grace. God might also want us to learn how to respond and act responsibly, to grow in stewardship of what He’s entrusted to us. This command is not to be burdensome, but it should be a comfort to us.
Therefore, we should not take the command to “not worry” lightly. God has instructed us to live according to His Word so that we bring glory to Him and find peace in this sinful world. When we struggle with worry, fear, or anxiety, God doesn’t want us to just stop and calm down. He also doesn’t want us to pretend like the causes of our worries don’t exist. Instead, He wants us to purposefully choose to trust in Him, so that we can experience the kind of peace that only He can offer. Finding remedies for our worry, fear, or anxiety outside of trusting in God will never last. The verse I opened with today is worth repeating: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). God actually cares about all the details of our lives (like Matthew 6 highlights), and He wants us to entrust those details to Him.
In my next newsletter, I will continue the conversation of the hope we have in obeying the command “Don’t worry” by looking at its counterpart command, “Rejoice always.” I look forward to pointing out more of God’s character that is reflected in these commands, and how that should impact us when seeking to obey them. Thank you again for choosing to read or listen to Speaking Truth, and I pray you can apply the truths discussed today as you face reasons to worry.
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