«Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you» (l Peter 5:7).
Anxiety is part of the reality of being human. Basically, it is an emotional response of distress or uneasiness generated by doubt, fear, or worries. It consists of affective, cognitive, physiological, and behavioral aspects and constitutes a source of suffering that can trigger maladjusted and abnormal reactions.
Anxiety disorders include panic attacks, all kinds of phobias, and generalized anxiety, some of which can be very debilitating. It is estimated that approximately ten percent of the world population suffers from these disorders, quite often without knowing it. Anxiety is experienced through somatic symptoms such as muscular tension, body aches, stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, among others, and psychological symptoms like negative thoughts, uneasiness, and anguish, and behavioral symptoms of fight-or-flight.
God is not indifferent to His children’s suffering. Understanding how anxiety can paralyze us, He has given us clues on how to free ourselves from it. Speaking of doubts, worries, and fears will make them stronger; therefore, we should try to find those remedies which can be found in God’s Word that are truly efficient against these ailments.
Thomas had doubts about Jesus being resurrected.
«I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side,» he said firmly (John 20:24, NLT).
It’s interesting how Jesus reacted to his doubts. He did not admonish him, and he did not get into an argument with him. He just revealed Himself as the Saviour.
The disciples were very afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the sea at night. They actually believed He was a ghost «and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is l; do not be afraid’ » (Matt. 14:26, 27). Can you imagine? He did not give them a lecture about ghosts. He only revealed Himself as the One who had everything under control and could help them.
Regarding worries, He also pointed out, «There do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble» (Matt. 6:34). Thus, in this great sermon, the Teacher of Galilee taught two fundamental principles in order for use to be carefree: give Him all your troubles, and live one day at a time.
This month, we will try to discover and dig deeper into each of these principles. Today, we invite you to cast all your anxiety upon Him and trust His help. He will take care of you.
Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores: Yudith C & Alejandra Zavala