Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Background
The early Church had very good reasons to be anxious. Persecution was severe. In Jerusalem, many fled. Outside Jerusalem, Jews sought to have them banished from key parts of society and Gentiles mostly looked at them with disdain. While some had the wealth and influence to live with less issues, many had to rely on other Christians to meet key needs.
What it meant to the original audience
Lacking the ability to meet financial, social or other needs created anxiety because there was no government safety net programs. And, being subject to discrimination reduced the options for getting needs met. This is where the second greatest commandment really showed how God works. Sometimes miraculously (unspoken needs met) or more commonly through the Christian community living the principles God taught them (spoken needs met), God provided. It wasn’t always smooth because people are imperfect (Acts 6:1-7), but God provided via community and that drew even more people to understand and believe in God’s message.
For us today
Today, depending on where you live, your anxieties are likely very different. But God is aware of them and waiting for you to ask and trust. And, God sees all sizes of needs, so don’t be afraid to let Him know your needs.
A couple of qualifiers:
- It should be noted that God is there to help when you are seeking the two greatest commandments as He promises in Matthew 6:25-33. If you are accumulating issues seeking the personal pleasures of this world, God will be looking deeper into your heart attitudes as part of His response. This is the same as any loving parent would if their child is starting to have issues because of selfish attitudes and actions.
- If you are expecting “comfort” to reduce your anxiety, there is no promise for that. The early church and many Christians around the world today are finding peace in the storm rather than peace from the storm.
Our loving and wise Heavenly Father sees our issues and cares for us.