How to Handle Your Anxiety

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

The early followers of Christ endured unbelievable trials. Most lost everything - their city, their homes, their lives. Rome was outraged at the growth of Christianity. Horrendous forms of persecution were the favorite disciplines used to keep the young church in line.

Anxiety was at full pitch. The apostle Peter understood the fears involved but encouraged the young believers to remain faithful. His first epistle is directed to dispersed Jews living outside Jerusalem. Within these pages he shares the secret to disarming the enemy.

Peter knew anxiety's tactic. He had fallen to it earlier; but by the power of the Holy Spirit, he had learned the method to overcome its deception. The key is faith. Faith in Jesus Christ and His promises always dissolves the fierceness of anxiety. Peter's words are just as relevant today: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God...casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

Realize that nothing you will ever face is outside of the control of God. The same hand that comforted the early church is the same one that will deliver you from the unrest of anxiety. 

"Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered on anything short of God." -Billy Graham