Worry is pride

Joe Wittwer | July 26, 2012

Scripture: Isaiah 46-49, 1 Peter 5

            1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

 

Observation/application

            Other translations put a period on the end of verse 6, and start a new sentence in verse 7, but in the Greek, it is one sentence, and the word “casting” is a participle that modifies the main verb, “Humble yourselves”.  What this means is that casting your anxieties or cares upon God is an act of humility.  Worry is a form of pride.  It assumes that I am in control, that I am ultimately responsible; it is a failure to trust God. 

            We don’t think of worry as a form of pride.  Perhaps if we saw it as that we would be more ready to surrender our worries and trust God. 

            “Casting” is a vivid word; it literally means, “to throw off upon”.  Picture someone carrying a heavy load who “throws it off upon” someone else.  He is free of the load; he doesn’t have to carry it anymore because someone else is.  That someone is God, who “cares for you”. 

            In Philippians 3:6-7, Paul urges us to pray instead of worry.  Here, Peter urges the same thing.  We cast our cares on God when, instead of worrying, we pray.  Let every worry become a catalyst to prayer.  Remember that worry is pride disguised; prayer is humility; and humble yourself before God.

 

Prayer: Lord, today I bring you every worry, every care and give them to you.  You can carry them; I can’t.  Thank you for caring for me.