Auxano Ministry
By the grace of God I am what I am:
1 Cor. 15:10a
Completely Eliminate All Anxiety
Or
Eleven Words to a New Life
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.
Revised Standard Version
These eleven words; understood and believed, will improve your everyday life completely, entirely, permanently.
These are the emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms of stress and anxiety:
There are many different lists concerning the effects of stress and anxiety in your life and all demonstrate the massive toll stress takes upon an individual. Therapy has helped people, but the words and thoughts of a therapist only carry the power of the therapist. When you’re alone and darkness and fear begin to creep into your mind will the words of another man have the power to bring your deliverance?
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
If God has promised freedom from anxiety than you can trust Him to do what He has said.
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith (believing) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Romans 4:20-21
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in
faith (believing), giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that,
what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Abraham continued to believe the promise of God. No matter what physical
evidence the world fed to his mind, he stayed focused on what God had promised.
So, the question becomes, did God promise a way to remove anxiety from a person’s heart and life? If God made such a promise, then absolutely God will bring it to pass.
It just so happens that God did make such a promise.
1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
These eleven words can be life changing to anyone suffering from anxiety.
The Greek, used in the text, for “cast” is epiripto and is only used in one other verse of scripture.
Luke 19:35
And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast (epiripto) their garments upon (epiripto) the colt, and they set (epiripto) Jesus thereon.
Three times in Luke 19 this same Greek word is used giving us a clearer definition for epiripto. The garments were “cast” “upon” the colt and Jesus was “set” on the colt. A specific item was placed upon a specific place.
The prefix, epi, to the word epiripto means upon. When epi is used in the accusative case, as it is in 1 Peter 5:7, the emphasis is placed on that which a thing is resting. In this case the emphasis would be resting upon God.
The main portion of the word ripto comes from the Greek word rhipto and it means to throw. This part of the word epiripto is not handled in the translation by the translators when they only use the word “upon” in their translation. Epiripto is more accurately translated "to throw upon."
Rhipto adds to our understanding of epiripto by showing us a throwing of the item being “cast.” Together the accurate definition would be to "throw upon." What this helps us see is a letting go of the thing thrown. They let go of the garments they put upon the colt and they let go of Jesus after he was placed upon the colt. Once Jesus was placed upon the colt his disciples didn’t walk along side of the colt holding the hand of Jesus, they let go of him.
This gives us great insight into casting our care upon God; we need to let go entirely. We can’t say we are giving it to God while still holding on to the care. We need to let go of the care knowing and expecting God to find the correct solution. If the care is financial, we can’t say we have thrown it to God and then go out and endeavor to take care of the situation on our own. The accusative case is telling us to keep our focus on the one to whom we have thrown our care.
Remember Abraham in Romans 4, he “staggered not” at God’s promise through unbelief but rather he remained “strong in believing”, giving God the glory for knowing and handling the
solution. Once the care is thrown to God, we let go and watch God work.
First Peter is telling us to place our care upon Him, upon God. We trust and believe that God will
fulfill His promise because He is not a man that He would lie; God said it and He will perform or bring
to pass the promise we are claiming. The garments were placed upon the colt and then Jesus was placed upon the colt. From cast we know where to place our care with complete trust.
When you look at the actual Greek text you see that the very first word is the Greek word pas. Pas is defined as “whole, every or all.” In this context it is telling us that with God no care is to large or too small. God wants us to throw upon Him every care we have in life.
But what exactly are our cares?
Care is the Greek word merimna and literally means “to divide or draw different directions”. You can see this meaning when we look at the ways and the places where God has used this Greek word in the Bible.
Matthew 13:22
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mark 4:19
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Luke 8:14
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
All three of these verses are from the parable of the sower and the seed. In all three verses we see these cares come from the things of the world that divide or distract the individual from the words of God and send a person in the wrong direction.
If you were to translate merimna into one English word it would be the word anxiety. Anxiety because it pulls the mind apart, sending the mind in different directions at the same time. Strong's Lexicon describes this Greek word as; “through the idea of distraction. So clearly that which worries or causes anxiety is that which distracts us and tends to draw us in different directions".
F.B. Meyer said of anxiety, “The word anxiety comes from the same root as anger and suggests the idea of choking. Worry chokes the life of faith. It does not help us to overcome our difficulties but unfits us for dealing with them.”
There is no way around it, anxiety is a deadly disease that truly only has one cure, GOD. The general cure discovered by far too many men is best described by Anacreon, a Greek poet from the 6th Century B.C., who said, “When I drink wine, my worries (merimna) go to sleep.”
Alcohol is the wrong solution when it comes to handling anxiety!
The history of the word worry, according to American Heritage Dictionary, is:
“The ancestor of our word, Old English wyrgan, meant “to strangle.” Its Middle English descendant, worien, kept this sense and developed the new sense “to grasp by the throat with the teeth and lacerate” or “to kill or injure by biting and shaking.” This is the way wolves or dogs might attack sheep, for example. In the 16th century worry began to be used in the sense “to harass, as by rough treatment or attack,” or “to assault verbally,” and in the 17th century the word took on the sense “to bother, distress, or persecute.”
William Barclay revealed a secular Greek letter from a wife to her husband, “I cannot sleep at night or by day, because of the worry (merimna) I have about your welfare.”
Some anxiety is born out of legitimate and reasonable concerns, but the answer is still casting those worries, those cares upon God. Could the wife do anything to insure her husband’s welfare? Obviously, the answer is no. But her distraction with her husband’s welfare could easily cause other issues at home because she is so distracted and divided mentally. Her real peace of mind lies in throwing her anxiety upon God and resting in His assurance of looking out for her husband’s welfare. Even legitimate anxiety or worry is handled best when thrown to God by resting on His promises.
Those who hold onto their cares, their anxieties are separated from the promises of
God as they look to themselves or the world to supply their need. I’m not saying
you are separated from God but rather, you are separated from His powerful
promises that are only a benefit and a blessing to every life that claims them in
believing.
Philippians adds to our understanding about handling anxieties.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be careful (merimnao) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God .7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The word “careful” should have been translated anxious. The Greek word is spelled slightly different than the word we have already looked at because it is the verb form of the word used in 1 Peter 5:7. The verb form means an action is called for and the action God wants people to take is to come to Him in prayer. Careful is also in the imperative mood thus making it a command. Being in the imperative mood you could translate the opening of this verse as “Stop being anxious...” a command. Rather we are encouraged to come to God with prayer and thanksgiving letting God know our requests, the areas where we have anxiety. You throw your anxiety to God and by prayer and thankfulness you believe He will fulfill His promise. God promises and He doesn’t lie or change His mind about having made the promise. He said it and He will perform the doing of it.
Why will God do what He has said?
Are you so special that God would answer your prayer when so many others have said they prayed but it never happened? Are you good enough for God to pay attention to you? What good deeds or works should you accomplish while you wait for God to answer your prayer?
No matter what others say, no matter what the world proclaims, regardless of what doubts your own mind shouts from the roof tops; your deliverance will come from God! God answering your need is dependent upon two things; His promise and your believing that He is faithful to perform what He has said. You don’t buy deliverance from God; it isn't like the game show "Let's Make A Deal." Rather out of His love He gives grace and brings His Word to pass because as Abraham declared in Romans 4:21.
Romans 4:21
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Integrity is defined as, “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change:” When speaking of God’s integrity the best statement I've heard is, “He means what He says and says what He means.”
God will meet your need because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7b
… for he careth for you.
The Greek word used here for the word “careth” is different than the Greek word we have already looked at. Here the word is melei and is defined as, “to be of interest, concern.” God is concerned about you, God is interested in your needs being met and your mind being at rest.
The Amplified version ends 1 Peter 5:7 this way:
1 Peter 5:7b
…He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
You are precious in His sight.
The world will tell you it is right and only natural to have anxiety and fears about your situation. Your friends and loved ones may give you the logic of why it is right to hold on to your anxiety and concern. But God says, cast ALL of your anxieties upon me for I am concerned about you.
Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
I've supplied the understanding...now you supply the believing.
“Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody; Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control; Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind; Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, and depressed; Avoiding others; Low energy; Headaches; Upset stomach; including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea; Aches, pains, and tense muscles; Chest pain and rapid heartbeat; Insomnia; Frequent colds and infections; Loss of sexual desire and/or ability; Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet; Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing; Clenched jaw and grinding teeth; Constant worrying; Racing thoughts; Forgetfulness and disorganization; Inability to focus; Poor judgment; Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side.”
WebMD Stress Symptoms
If God said it...
Then God will do it.
Most Things We Worry About NEVER
Come To Pass.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
