Humbleness, humility, and anxiety; a very strange mix
“To the elders among you . . . Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock . . . Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:1a, 2-3,5-7 )
It is important to remember that the writer of 1 Peter is not just writing to the young men and exhorting them to act in a certain way. And he also has words to say to the elders or older men in the early church, and to others who are in the church.
But I am hard pressed to understand how humility and humbling one’s self can be connected to casting one’s anxieties on the Lord. This theme, giving one’s anxiety to God, is one we have looked at for several days. Let use briefly consider how our modern concept of anxiety relates to the way the word is used in these passages. The word used in verse 7, as it is cited in my concordance, is the word ‘care’ as in “Cast all your care . . “ I did some more looking and found that other translations use the words ‘worry’ and ‘troubles’ in this verse, as well as anxiety. My concordance translates the Greek word ‘care’ as ’solicitude’, and my dictionary states that ’solicitude is “1 The state of be solicitous (which is further defined as ‘anxious and concerned’); care; concern: 2 That which causes anxiety or concern.” So it would seem that ‘anxiety’ is an accurate word usage here. But still, how does that connect with humility and humbleness?
It might be that the writer of 1 Peter has just tacked on the sentence about casting anxiety on the Lord, but I do not think so. In thinking about this verse for several hours I have come to the conclusion that the first part of verse 7 is a lead into the second part, that God cares about us. And in further thinking about this verse I have to wonder if the humility and humbleness is not so much an exhortation to avoid overinflated pride, but a realization that what problems we have in this life are so small compared to the vastness of God, and that this vast God can take care of whatever ‘minor’ problems we might have. Pride not comes from just an over estimation of our self-worth, but an exaggeration of our struggles and challenges; the ‘I have more struggles than you do’ syndrome. A sort of ‘one-upping’ of being down.
But, if this exegesis is a valid one (and I am not saying it is), then I do not like the message for the same reason that several days ago I spoke out on how difficult for some casting their anxiety on God is. Matthew Henry, in his commentary of this passage, capsulizes perfectly they very attitude I do not like; “Cast all you care; personal cares, family cares, cares for the present, and cares for the future, for yourselves, for others, for the church, on God. These are burdensome, and often very sinful, when they arise from unbelief and distrust, when they torture and distract the mind, unfit us for duties, and hinder our delight in the service of God. The remedy is, to cast our care upon God, and leave every event to his wise and gracious disposal. “ How dare he equate neuroses with sin!
The early Anabaptists do not offer any better comfort when writers such as Jacques Mesdagh write “console and rejoice yourself with the comforting Scriptures left us for the refreshing and strengthening of our mind and faith, when you are persecuted and driven from city to city, and they inflict tribulation and suffering upon you for the name of Christ, as may easily happen yet, since I hear that the cruel and abominable beast begins to exalt itself greatly again over the little flock of the Lord. But they have no more power than the Lord permits them to have, though they greatly exalt themselves, and rage, as though they were determined utterly to annihilate the little flock, as is evidently their purpose.” This may be fine for those who are oppressed by outside others, but it does little for those who find that the “cruel and abominable beast” is living within them.
On the other hand, perhaps we do wallow too much in our lists of symptoms of anxiety and panic. Perhaps we are too quick to admit to being ‘under stress’ and too easily reach for the most recently touted aid for stress and anxiety. And perhaps this is why, when we/society hears those who are surviving from diseases of them mind, then we/society say “snap out of it!” But in that case we as society are the sinners! And so here too we need to practice humility and humbleness in realizing we do not know everything about others.
So we come back to what the writer of 1 Peter is saying to the elders (take care of your flock), the young men (watch and learn from your elders), and the others (use humility and humbleness). And perhaps the urging is not for those whose anxiety is out of their control, but to us/society who thinks they know what is best, but really does not have a clue. God is working through those who understand what is means to persecuted, inside and out. Humble yourself, learn from those who know so that in time God will reveal to you what is best to do. Don’t fret yourself on things that are none of your business, but allow God to show you what is your task and calling to do.
May the God who knows all of our anxieties and seeks to minister to them through the Divine’s faithful servants. And may you and those who care for you take back to the Lord, as you are able, the cares and concerns that comes in day to day living. Selah!
