Key Takeaway
Live at the intersection of knowing you need help and knowing that God is great.
Anxiety has taken up too much space in our vocabulary and our lives. Naming that doesn’t minimize the struggle; it simply refuses to give worry the microphone. Scripture doesn’t shame the anxious or prescribe quick fixes. It offers a Person, a posture, and a practice: humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, and cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).
That movement begins with honesty. “I’m anxious” is not a faithless sentence; it’s a faithful starting point. Pride often props up control—controlling outcomes, timelines, and people—and when control cracks, anxiety rushes in. Humility interrupts that loop. To humble yourself is to say, “I can’t, but You can,” and to relocate your weight beneath a hand that is both pierced and powerful. Most worry is spiritual amnesia about the might and nearness of God. Humility remembers.
Casting is the second movement. Many of us “release” anxiety only to snatch it back five minutes later. Casting is different. It’s an actual transfer: taking what is tearing you apart and intentionally throwing it onto God because He invited you to. The Greek root behind “anxiety” (merízō) means “to divide.” That’s what worry does—splits attention, fractures peace, pulls the heart into pieces. Casting reverses the divide. It gathers the scattered parts and places them with the One who holds all things together.
What does that look like in practice? Start with breath. Not as a trendy tactic, but as a reminder: every inhale is borrowed air; every exhale is an opportunity to surrender control. Pray on the rhythm—“Yahweh” on the breath, “You care for me” on the release. Admit what’s real: “I feel out of control.” Then challenge the narrative: “Is this thought true? What’s the worst that could happen? Would God abandon me there?” Anxiety thrives in vague dread. Precision shrinks it.
Move your body. Walk. Stretch. Drop your shoulders. Lift your gaze. Simple physical cues can quiet the stress response enough for truth to be heard. Fuel your body—sleep, water, unprocessed food—because a dehydrated, sleepless brain intensifies spirals. Turn on music that lifts your eyes higher. Laugh. Journal what you’re carrying and physically place the paper somewhere you designate as “God’s inbox.” These helps aren’t replacements for prayer; they’re companions. And none of them conflict with professional care. Seeking a doctor, therapist, or medication is not an either/or with faith. God is the Great Physician who, in kindness, trains physicians.
Then cast again. Anxiety is repetitive; so is surrender. Make casting your reflex. When you feel the tightness return—chest compressing, breath shortening—say aloud, “Under Your hand, not under mine.” Imagine handing the person, prognosis, or problem to the Father and leaving it there. Casting isn’t careless. It doesn’t say, “I don’t care about my marriage, my kids, my job.” It says, “I care so much I refuse to pretend I’m the miracle worker. I will pray, act wisely, and trust You with the outcomes.”
Two promises frame this posture. First, God will lift you up “in due time.” That doesn’t always mean quickly, but it does mean certainly. His timeline is often slower than our nerves prefer and swifter than our fears predict. Humility waits under His hand; pride hurries outside it. Second, He cares for you. Not just for “the issue,” but for you. Anxiety whispers, “You’re on your own.” The cross answers, “Never.” If you’ve forgotten that the Almighty cares for you, let the scars in His wrists correct your memory.
Create a centering object that points beyond itself. Some people hold a stone or a stress ball; consider a cross on your desk or a small card that simply reads, “Yahweh cares for me.” When spirals start, take the card in hand, breathe slowly, and pray the verse back to Him. Keep a short “cast list”—three things you’re actively entrusting to God this week. Review it daily. When He answers, record it. Testimonies train the heart for tomorrow’s casting.
Guard the inputs that feed your inner world. If your news diet, doomscrolling, or group chat spikes your pulse every night, set boundaries. Curate what you consume. Replace ten minutes of scrolling with ten minutes in the Psalms. Worry multiplies in noise; peace grows in presence. Speak truth to yourself in the present tense: “God’s hand is mighty over this moment. God’s heart is kind toward me in this moment.”
Invite trustworthy people into the process. Anxiety isolates; community normalizes and supports. Tell a friend, “Here’s what I’m casting today. Ask me tomorrow if I left it with Him.” If your anxiety is severe or persistent—panic attacks, inability to function, dark thoughts—reach out for professional help immediately. That step is wisdom, not weakness.
Above all, make Jesus your centering place. Let worship reframe what feels impossible. Sing when you don’t feel like it. Open your Bible when distraction screams. You’re not performing for God; you’re positioning your heart under His hand. Over time, humility under that hand produces steadiness: standing on the rock, even while the waves still break.
So breathe. Admit. Challenge. Move. Cast. Repeat. And every time you do, finish the sentence the Spirit keeps writing across your life: “Yahweh cares for me.” You don’t have to carry what is tearing you apart. The One who carried a cross can carry this too—and carry you with it. In His time, you will find yourself lifted, not by your own managing, but by His faithful hand.
Discussion Questions
What does society point toward to relieve stress and anxiety? Take a quick second to pull out your phone and research what the experts of the day are suggesting.
Of all that is recommended on the internet, what advice can you parallel with the Word of God? In other words, are there any passages in Scripture that suggest something similar to what psychologists and therapists are suggesting?
How do you “Humble yourself”? What practical things can you do to contribute to making yourself a humble person before God?
As a group, try to name 10 experiences that are humbling in nature. To help think of things, try to answer this question ten times: “What is something that makes you feel small, life feel short, or God seem great?”
If anxiety were a physical object, it would be simple to “cast” it but what does it mean to “cast” something nonphysical, like anxiety?
What are practical things you can do to cast anxiety on God (Hint: 1 Pet. 5:1-5; 8-11)? If something you think of seems obvious, still share it with the group because it may be informative to someone else.
Have you ever had a moment in your life where you felt like you were actually going crazy?
What are some of the practices in your life that may contribute to your having a relatively “sound” mind?
If you think you are “sound” in mind, what is your plan to stay “watchful” (1 Pet. 5:8)?
What anxieties are you dealing with currently? If you feel comfortable sharing, bring them to the group so someone in the group can pray over your situation. End by praying for each other.
