In last week’s installment of the four-part series on anxiety, we talked about getting rid of the “I.”

Today, we’re going to shift our perspective away from us.

The University of California at Berkley conducted a study where some of the subjects were shown pictures of awe-inspiring, magnificent things like the Grand Canyon or the Taj Mahal. Here’s what a Washington Post article about this study says:

“Experiencing more awe is associated with living healthier and more meaningful lives. A 2021 study reported that feeling more awe is correlated with reporting feeling lowered levels of daily stress.”

Experiencing awe. It’s not something we talk about often.

But a blurb from the white paper of a study on awe reports: When it comes to psychological effects, studies have found that awe can create a diminished sense of self (an effect known as “the small self”), give people the sense that they have more available time, increase feelings of connectedness, increase positive mood, and decrease materialism.

But here’s the thing: The people in that Berkley study were simply shown pictures of the Grand Canyon or other magnificent aspects of creation and that created an experience of awe. But we have the picture of One who is far more glorious than anything in nature. Nature simply provides a teensy glimpse of His untold majesty, grandeur, power, creativity, holiness, splendor, grace, and love.

How much more do we as children of God have reason to stand in awe?

Let’s go back to the verse we have been meditating on, 1 Peter 5: 6 says: Humble yourself therefore under God’s mighty hand and He will lift you up on due time. 

It doesn’t say, humble yourself under God’s mighty hand and then lift yourself up.

Does our anxiety come from trying to fly high on our own strength? Our Heavenly Father knows what we need. When you come before Him on your knees, trust that His mighty hand is powerful enough to lift you up.

And the second part of that sentence goes: He will lift you up in due time.

Does our anxiety come from expecting answers on our timetable? Do we get worked up because we are not seeing results on our schedule? When we humble ourselves before God, we trust His timing. We trust that He won’t and cannot forget His children.

Psalm 139: 17-18 says: How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.

Have you ever gone to a beach and picked up a handful of sand? It would be impossible to count the grains. Scientists say that one cubic square foot of sand has approximately one million grains of sand. And God says that His thoughts toward us are more than the grains of sand all put together.

May we truly grasp that the antidote to anxiety is the awe of God. The solution to stress is to stand amazed. The way out of worry is to worship.

1 Peter 5: 7 Cast your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.

The word, “cast” is not passive. It is an active word. It doesn’t say all your worries will melt away. Casting takes intentionality and obedience.

Here’s how Charles Spurgeon says it: This work of casting can be so difficult that we need to use two hands to do it: the hand of prayer and the hand of faith. Prayer tells God what the care is, and asks God to help, while faith believes that God can and will do it. 

I love that concept of two hands—prayer and faith. That idea is reflected in Philippians 4: 6-7 another powerful and practical chapter about anxiety which says: Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests before God and the peace of God which transcends understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Friends, have we taken the time to simply stand in awe of God? Have we taken the time to be still and know He is God? Are we actively casting our cares on Him through prayer and petition with thanksgiving? The way out of anxiety is to stand in awe.

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Stay tuned for the last installment of this four-part series on overcoming anxiety. Meanwhile, you can also download my YouVersion devotional  “Do Not Worry…” But How???  and dive into some practical Biblical ways to overcome anxiety.

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