When I was nine years old, my parents got us a dog. Lady was a mixed breed and the most loving dog I’d ever been around. We were inseparable. I also had constant anxiety, though, about her dying. It was something that nagged at me my entire childhood.
One Sunday afternoon I hopped in the car with my mom so she could drive me to youth activities at church. As she was backing out of the garage, we felt the back tire ride over something that was behind us, and then we heard a horrible screaming sound. I knew exactly what had happened.
I panicked.
I jumped out of the car and ran to the door of our house, screaming the entire time. The door was locked so I just fell to my knees, screaming. My dad opened the door, looked at me, and said, “What in the world is wrong?” All I could do was yell, “Lady!” over and over. Dad calmly said, “Well, Lady is standing right beside you. And it looks like your mom backed over the basketball that you left in the driveway. It’s stuck under the car, and every time she moves the car it makes a screeching sound. Is that what you’re upset about?”
I feel silly looking back at that event. If I hadn’t been living in a constant state of anxiety and worry about my furry friend, I may have reacted differently. Anxiety and worry are not our friends.
In a previous post, we mentioned the sin of pride. Most of us don’t realize, however, that anxiety and worry are forms of pride. When our minds are filled with anxiety, we’re actually denying the existence of a sovereign God who loves us. Anxiety makes us, rather than God, the center of the universe. We’re claiming that we have to solve all of our problems and face all of our troubles in our own strength with no one to help us.
The opposite of pride, of course, is humility, so Peter tells us how to respond when we experience the pride of 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. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
When we face difficult times, instead of allowing anxiety to overwhelm us, Peter tells us to humble ourselves. How are we supposed to do that? By casting our worries on God. When we give our anxieties to God, we acknowledge that we can’t solve our problems in our strength. Instead, we place our trust in God and acknowledge that he, as our Lord and Creator, is more powerful than any struggle we are facing.
Not only is God all-powerful, but he loves us, he cares for us. No matter how powerful God is, we wouldn’t give him our anxiety if we didn’t know that he cared about us. God loves you so much that he gave his Son for you:
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
The God who didn’t even spare his own Son for you will surely give you everything you need. That should settle for us any doubts about whether he loves us and wants what’s best for us. How can we not trust the One who gave his Son so we could have a relationship with him in spite of our sin?
As you think about what you’re facing, ask yourself this question: can your worry change anything about your situation? Can worry and anxiety make one single thing any better? The fact is that there are some things that are completely out of our control, and we shouldn’t worry about things that we can’t control. When we do, it only hurts us; it doesn’t change our circumstances at all.
During this time of COVID-19, there is much uncertainty and fear. But put things in perspective. For the child of God, in this pandemic, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Ask yourself that question again. For the Christian, what’s the worst thing that can happen?
The worst thing that can happen to you is you will see Jesus sooner than you expected! I am not afraid to die of this disease, because the absolute worst thing that can happen to me is that I will wake up in the presence of Jesus. Where’s the downside in that?
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)
As believers, we know that God will ultimately deliver us from the trials of this life and into his glory. One day there is going to be no more fear, no more pain, no more anxiety, no more sickness, no more death. We are truly safe in the Lord because, even though we still face physical death, we will live in his presence for all of eternity!
Sometimes our problems seem so huge. But instead of being anxious, keep your focus on God and your future with him, and give those worries to him. Remember that the problems we face here can’t compare to the beauty of our future with our Savior.