“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
Not being able to run has been wearing me out. Over the past couple weeks, I have been in a mood swing from normal to grumpy, angry, and depressed, with a burst of energy inside me having nowhere to escape. Fortunately, I’ve found my long-lost best friend, the swimming pool. There I channel my physical energy and acquire a quietness of mind.
Yesterday at Julia’s Coffee, I found this card with the scripture: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). I thought of my injury immediate and was comforted by the fact that He cares. But as I went home and read the context, I realized there were much more. The verse preceded it says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6). Peter was speaking to shepherding flocks of God. He was speaking to people in ministry and how they are to be pastors and ministers. A commentary points out that anxiety stems from pride. A prideful belief which deceives oneself that everything depend on one’s might, not on God’s. In other words, pride robs our trust in Him. Without verse 6, without first submitting our lives, “casting our anxieties on Him” would only be another display of our self-centeredness, focusing on our problems and selfishly seeking God for His power without the Person. But if we put our lives and ministry back into the right perspective, by first humbling yourself before God, submitting to His authority, and recognizing His supremacy, then we could let go of our anxiety. Better yet, our anxiety would be taken care of. Cast could mean throw, toss, and shed. An imagery of throwing a heavy loaded bag onto Him and thus relinquish all the excess weight comes to mind.
The truth is, there are lots to learn behind my injury. Perhaps running has become too much of a priority and I need to step back from it. Frankly, there is nothing much I could do for my injury, but rest. And also rest in the truth that everything is in His hands and He cares.
Not being able to run has been wearing me out. Over the past couple weeks, I have been in a mood swing from normal to grumpy, angry, and depressed, with a burst of energy inside me having nowhere to escape. Fortunately, I’ve found my long-lost best friend, the swimming pool. There I channel my physical energy and acquire a quietness of mind.
Yesterday at Julia’s Coffee, I found this card with the scripture: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). I thought of my injury immediate and was comforted by the fact that He cares. But as I went home and read the context, I realized there were much more. The verse preceded it says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6). Peter was speaking to shepherding flocks of God. He was speaking to people in ministry and how they are to be pastors and ministers. A commentary points out that anxiety stems from pride. A prideful belief which deceives oneself that everything depend on one’s might, not on God’s. In other words, pride robs our trust in Him. Without verse 6, without first submitting our lives, “casting our anxieties on Him” would only be another display of our self-centeredness, focusing on our problems and selfishly seeking God for His power without the Person. But if we put our lives and ministry back into the right perspective, by first humbling yourself before God, submitting to His authority, and recognizing His supremacy, then we could let go of our anxiety. Better yet, our anxiety would be taken care of. Cast could mean throw, toss, and shed. An imagery of throwing a heavy loaded bag onto Him and thus relinquish all the excess weight comes to mind.
The truth is, there are lots to learn behind my injury. Perhaps running has become too much of a priority and I need to step back from it. Frankly, there is nothing much I could do for my injury, but rest. And also rest in the truth that everything is in His hands and He cares.
Comments
Post a Comment