How To Jump Off The Merry-Go-Round Of Anxiety And Finally Experience Peace

Do you ever feel so stressed you feel like you’re going to pieces? Maybe you’re so stressed it feels like you’re insides are on a merry-go-round. I’m not talking about the kind with prancing horses. I’m talking about that one where the neighbor kid spun you so fast the G-force pinned you to the floorboard and you knew you were going to spin off into space never to be seen again.

I remember a time when our finances were going to pieces. I was stressed out during this time more than any other time I can remember. I lived in fear of losing our house. Fear of phone calls. I stressed over every bill that came in and the “not enough money” that came in to pay for them. My insides felt like they were on that merry-go-ride. I had anxiety on speed dial.

Well, we feel like we’re going to pieces because that’s what worry and anxiety does to us. Let me show you.

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Anxiety (or in some translations–Care): dividing and fracturing a person's being into parts. 

We’re literally, and figuratively, worrying ourselves to pieces from the inside out. We’re fracturing into parts. No wonder anxiety hurts so bad!

God didn’t create us for this kind of anxiety, care and stress. He created us to experience peace.

He not only promised us peace, He made a way for us to have it.

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Most of us hear this scripture and think of Jesus paying for our sins, or even our healing. But, Jesus paid for us to have peace too. It’s a free gift just as forgiveness of sins is a free gift.

Psalm 29:11 NKJV

The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.

So, if we’re blessed with this gift of peace, why don’t we experience it more often?

Peace doesn’t just drop into our laps like pennies from heaven. There’s a part we get to play.

Let’s go back to 1 Peter 5:7.

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.

The Bible says to “Cast” your care or anxiety on Him. 

Cast means to “throw upon, place upon.”

We’re to throw or place our cares and anxiety onto our Heavenly Father. Why? Because our Heavenly Father cares for us. 

And, let’s be honest. He’s the only one that can really carry it. Remember, anxiety is tearing us apart on the inside so we’re not bearing that burden very well on our own.

How do we cast our care?

When I was little my dad would take me and my brothers back packing. I’m not talking camping where you park the car, set up camp, experience indoor plumbing and sit at a picnic table enjoying your hamburger cooked over the grill. No, I’m talking back packing– where everything you eat, wear, and sleep in is packed into back-packs, strapped on your back and hiked miles into the forest. You know, where you put your food in a bag and string it up into a tree so the bears don’t wander into to camp to help themselves to a mid-night snack (or you)–That back-packing.

One of the first trips I remember, I was seven years old, my brothers were twelve and five...You know, my dad sure was a brave dad. How many dads would have blazed into the forest for five days with three kids by himself. “You’re amazing Dad!” P.S. If you’re wondering where my Mom was, she was on a geological adventure of her own somewhere south of us hiking 18 miles a day. Go Mom!

Well, my older brother, Erik, could hold his own. But, my little brother, Dave and I were another story. I maybe had a 10 or 12 pound pack and Dave carried a pack with nothing but his underwear and marshmallows (because you know there’s going to be some roasting of mallows going on). My poor dad was the pack mule on this trip. His pack weighed in at over 100 pounds to start with. 

This is an actual photo of our packing trip story when I was 7 years old. Told you there was some roasting of mallows going on. : )

So off we went into the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California for an adventure. 5 miles in, or maybe 150 yards in…I’m not for sure, Dave started to tire. He’s five. So, my dad, being the caring father he is, picked Dave up. 

Some time later, I started to wear out. I couldn’t bear the weight. My dad, who had already been carrying my brother, saw me slowing under the weight, took my pack off me and carried it for me. I couldn’t do it on my own. But, my dad carried the weight for me because I was his little girl. He cared for me and wanted us to enjoy this adventure we were on together.

Our Heavenly Father wants to carry our packs–our anxieties and cares–those things that are dividing us and pulling us apart.

He’s strong enough to do it. We’re not and that’s ok. He didn’t design us for that.

So, what’s stopping us from casting our care? 

You know, the Scripture right before Peter tells us to cast our care he tells us:

1 Peter 5:6 NKJV

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Notice the comma. I left it so you could see the continuing thought.

Here’s the whole sentence together.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time, cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I believe scripture is showing us a direct connection between humility (or the lack of it) and our ability to cast our cares.

Are we trying to control it or “fix it” ourselves?

How’s that working so far? I know it never works out right for me. I just get more stressed out.

We need to lay down our pride that “we can control it all.” When we humble ourselves and tell Him we need His help, we can truly cast our care and anxiety on Him. 

Today, lay down the illusion of control and cast your care on your Heavenly Father. Let Him bear your burden because He cares for you.

I want to leave you with one last scripture to think on.

Isaiah 26:3-4 AMP

3 “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].

4 “Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], For the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].

Discussion

What's one thing that stops you from casting your care on your Heavenly Father? And, what's one step you can take today to start casting?

For me, it's working through the wrong belief that some how I'm not good enough. I am going to write down 2 Corinthians 5:21 and work on memorizing it. "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I'm good enough because He's good enough."