Casting off Anxiety

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Peter is writing to Christians living in an area that today is modern-day Turkey, encouraging those who had much to be anxious about. Under Nero, they were being persecuted and ostracized relentlessly. Casting (perhaps Peter was thinking of fishing) in Greek means to throw upon once and for all. They were to throw their anxieties or cares that disrupted their minds (and probably sleep) and give it all to God.

Although we may not be facing what the people in Peter’s day were facing, many things make us anxious. We were never meant to bear the kind of anxiety that paralyzes us and disrupts our lives alone. We are to throw it all towards God, literally telling God, “I can’t bear this. You take it.” He cares that much for you. Give it all, once and for all, to him.