The Mighty Hand of God
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1 Peter 5:6-7
6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. 7. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.
Philippians 4:6-7
6. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Both Peter and Paul offer sound advice to a world full of sorrows and woes. They both also offer a way to alleviate our sadness and relieve ourselves of the burden of worry: Give it all to God. It is certainly legitimate to be concerned about the physical welfare of our fellow man as well as their spiritual well-being. What both men are cautioning against is the self-centered worry that distracts us from the hope of life in Christ and the promise of God’s grace at the end of time.
The world offers us countless reasons to be concerned about the future of mankind! There is an on-going, relentless battle for our souls being waged by the powers of this world. It would be so easy to fall prey to the idea that we must live for today, because tomorrow may never come! No need to plan ahead, no need to invest our lives in an eternal inheritance. Why be concerned about the AIDS epidemic in Africa? Why lose sleep over the displaced citizens of the Gulf Coast of America? Why educate ourselves about legislation that will impact our way of life, and potentially restrict our freedom or someone else's? Who really needs to know about an entire African nation starving to death before our very eyes? All these things cause us to worry, right?
We must be intimately and acutely aware of and involved in our world! Our lives may be brief in view of eternity, but we are responsible for what happens in our lifetime, in our world! Our natural response to God taking all our burdens upon Himself, is to tackle more and more of the issues of the day, and lifting them up to Him. Our faith that He is bigger than any problem in our lives, stronger than any evil in the world, more powerful than famine, flood, or any other phenomenon, allows us to be proactive and empowers us to act. Because He is behind us, within us, and ever before us.
It sounds so simple! Of course all of these issues and so many others are complex. To me, that’s all the more reason to pray; to ask God for revelation and wisdom. And to invite Christ into the equation. What would our world be like if every Christian lived out our promise and our hope in Christ? I don’t think that’s an unrealistic question to pose. I also know, though, that too many involved in the solutions, or lack thereof, do not go to God first. It is apparent, because the problems keep coming, and growing, and multiplying.
I’m not judging anyone! I am convicted in my own life! I clutch every situation to myself, as if hoarding one small bit of control in a world that affords me none of it’s own accord. I know that if I would give it up, in humility, in faith, in joyful assurance of Christ’s victory for me, that I would have an easier time! I would sleep better at night. I would see the “glass half-full” much more often. I would share the Good News with others merely by how I lived my life -- an example to others. But alas, I am human. Fortunately God loves me in spite of my flaws and weaknesses and my pride. That is reason to be anxious for nothing.
My prayer today is that you will humble yourself before God as you offer up all your cares and concerns to Him. And that you will rejoice in the peace that surpasses all understanding in Christ Jesus.
Mary
