Written by Dawn Rutan
I had started writing this post last week, but was too busy and stressed to finish it. I guess I was intended to wait a few days so that others could contribute to the final product…
I don’t know about anyone else, but I have trouble figuring out how not to be anxious. I went online to look for advice and found a sermon by John Piper on 1 Peter 5:1-11. He rightly points out that “casting all your anxieties on Him” is part of a larger dissertation on humility. Entrusting our cares to God is an essential component of humbling ourselves before Him: “before you can put yourself humbly under God’s mighty hand, you have to put your anxiety confidently in God’s mighty hand.”
Piper mentions that there’s also an element of humbling ourselves before others. I started thinking about all the things that add to my stress and anxiety levels, and how much of that is tied to the pride of self-sufficiency and self-imposed expectations. A few days ago I came up with some questions for myself, many of which are related to questions Pastor Matt asked in his sermon this week. He asked, “How much of your burden is caused by sin and its consequences? …How much is an effort to keep up an appearance?” So here are the questions I’ve been asking:
- What tasks am I doing that could or should be done by someone else or not at all?
- What deadlines have I set that could be pushed back?
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What is actually required of me for my job or for my church?
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What activities can I cut back without great loss?
Related to all those questions, what would happen if I started saying no to some things? I’m working on revising how I set my priorities based on my answers to those questions:
- It is not necessary for me to attend every scheduled meeting of every board and committee I am on, though some discussions may require my presence.
- It is not necessary for me to have an immediate answer to every possible question, though I will do my best to answer the relevant questions as I can.
- It is not necessary to be at church every time the doors are open, though I do need to be there on a regular basis and remain in fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- It is not necessary to read through the Bible in a year, though I do need to read a little each day (2 Timothy 3:16).
- It is not necessary to be fully versed in every point of theology, though I will continue to learn (2 Timothy 2:15).
- It is not even necessary to know exactly how to pray for the complex issues in our world today, though I must pray (Romans 8:26, 1 Timothy 2:1-2).
As Pastor Matt shared last week from his conversation with Paul David Tripp, “God will never give you conflicting callings… Don’t try to do too much.” There are some things we are called to do, but a lot of stress and anxiety could be eliminated if we stopped trying to do things God never called us to do.
So how do we cast our anxieties on God? One way is to prayerfully consider what God requires of you at this time in this situation, then trust that He’ll take care of the rest. It may mean humbly asking for help from other people, or frank conversations about your limitations. It may mean saying no to some new request. It may require seeking guidance and encouragement from your Christian family.
If God has designed us with limitations (since we are not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent), and He has given each of us a unique role in His Body, then He must also provide the capable people to fulfill each task He has ordained. None of us can do it all alone, and we aren’t meant to try. Doing so will only cause us unnecessary stress and anxiety. We can rest in the faith that He’s already provided a way to accomplish His will, and we can cast off those burdens we were never meant to carry.
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV).
© 2016 Dawn Rutan. The views stated may or may not reflect the beliefs of the pastor or leadership of Dulin’s Grove Church.
