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 5:6-7 NIV
Anxiety
Far more Canadians are depressed and anxious today than they were a decade ago. Since 2012, the number of Canadians with major depressive disorder has increased by 62 percent. Today one in 13 Canadians, 7.6 percent of the population, qualify for the diagnosis. The number of Canadians with anxiety disorders has doubled, with one in 14 (7.1 percent) now suffering from social anxiety disorder. Rates of bipolar disorder rose, and substance use disorder fell by 0.6 percent each, with the fall in substance abuse driven by declining alcoholism.
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We all need someone that we can turn to when life gets challenging. Having someone we can call, or with whom we can chat, just to talk through a difficulty in our lives, someone who will give us a good balance between compassion and counsel, someone who truly cares about us, is a gift from God. We know that this person is a gift from God because God Himself does this for us if we ask Him. He certainly gives us permission to do so. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we read, “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.” There is so much good in these two verses. First, when we come humbly before God with our need, we have the confidence that He will lift us up from whatever valley we find ourselves in. With this assurance, with the confidence that God cares deeply for us, we cast our anxiety on Him. Go ahead and do that today.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley