Anxiety: The Hand of God For Those We Love
by Daniel Burton
I have lost many nights to worrying about other people. This may sound like a backdoor brag about how caring I am, but I promise its not (more on that in a minute). We all know people that we eagerly yearn for them to have that encounter with the risen Lord. Or we worry about their life choices and what they do because it may be dangerous, bad for their health, or worse, bad for their soul. There is something about experiencing that redeeming love of God that changes your heart and works in you that you want others to experience. We have tasted the goodness of the Lord and want nothing more for those people we care about to taste that same goodness. Yet, for whatever reason, they have not experienced the same goodness. So, we drift into worry and anxiety. We worry that their choices will catch up to them or that it will be too late. We worry that their pursuit of fleshly gain will rend them permanently damaged. In the end, however, worry and anxiety will only act as a paralytic and a massive weight that causes us to sink.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Feeling concerned for a person to either renew their relationship with Christ through their daily living or for them to come to Christ in the first place is natural. However, it is not a place we can stay, no matter the intentions. The feelings of concern, worry, and anxiety are not things we are meant to hold on to. It is a burden that God is able to handle much better than we are able to. Worry for those I care about, while it may be based in a good sentiment, is ultimately the worst thing I can do. We will all go through times of feeling anxious for a person, but what we do during that time is what marks the difference. Instead of spiraling downward into anxiety and fear, there is no better option than to place that person in the hands of God and allow God’s hands to work through ours.
Let Go Of People To God
Many times, I move very quickly to action when I worry about a friend. I do what I can to try and stop whatever they are doing that worries me or I attempt to intervene and ensure they are doing the right thing. Yet, in doing so, there is a key crucial component that I am missing. Often times, I miss the part about praying for them, relying instead on my wisdom and discernment instead of the Lord’s discernment and wisdom. The burden of caring for a person’s soul and redemption is not a burden that I can carry. In fact, I cannot even carry the burden of my own sin and life. The same God that sustained me during my time of need is able and willing to carry and sustain the burden of others.
The people we love are much better off in the hands of God than in mine. Only He is able. Share on XThere are many people I have been scared would injure themselves due to their life choices. Worse, there were others whom I have been concerned they would never come to Christ. Ultimately though, I am not God. For however much I might feel as though I need to meddle or get involved, I am not responsible for the salvation and redemption of people. Nor can I produce life in a person through my interference. My role is to present people before God and lay them in His hands. My calling is to represent God to the world, not take His place. The people we love are much better off in the hands of God than in mine. Only He is able. In earnest and fervent prayer, we bring them to God. We pray for them with bold prayers and we trust that God hears our prayers moves mightily.
The Hand of God Through Yours
Bringing your concerns for people, though, is not a call to passivity and should never be mistaken as such. We are getting out of the way and letting God be God and us to be us. Yet, this does not discount the hand of God reaching through ours. We have the honor and privilege of being used by God to be a force of change in the world. It is the Spirit of God who is working in us and through us to make a lasting impact wherever we find ourselves. Furthermore, our lives serve as a testimony of what God can do. When we put on the yoke of God, He is the stronger one, guiding us along the path and empowering us to conquer the burdens. It is the strength of God that bears the burden and guides the yoke. When we pray for our friends and intervene in their lives, we do so with the confidence’s of the burden belong to God and His strength and discernment being given to us.
We have the honor and privilege of being used by God to be a force of change in the world. Share on XWorried about a friend or family member or person? Pray whole heartedly that God would reach them and renew them. But also be ready for the hand of God to reach through yours. The burden will still be placed on God but by His strength and power, miracles will happen and lives will be changed. Be ready for your life to proclaim the redemption and salvation that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as a Savior. Look for the opportunities that God is presenting to share the Gospel with that person and treat them with the same grace that God has given you. Each one of us will be able to proclaim the love of God with our words and our actions for those around us to see.
Talk It Out
What are the feelings that make it difficult to put others in the hand of God? What benefits are there to allowing God to be God in these tough situations?
Check out the other posts in this series by clicking here: Anxiety
