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. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:6-8 NIV
https://bible.com/verse-of-the-day/1pe.5.6-8/10849
Alot of anxiety, which is fear, that I have experienced is due to not really knowing my Father God and His heart for us. So often we can get confused of our vocation and calling in life. It can be easy to think that it includes striving, and stressing. This is not Daddy God’s heart for us. His heart for us is that we would first and foremost come into His family. Many of us have never come into the pure family of God. Being a Christian means that you are first a son of God. Romans 8.
The very thing that hinders us from coming into true family is our pride. When we try to do things on our own or from an orphan mentality it is hard and stressful. We might not even realize that we are doing this! It has been subtlely taught to be lifted up in pride- “I don’t need anyone but God.” This is a christian cliche I have heard preached in my life.
When we separate ourselves from the rest of the body of Christ we begin to operate out of our own pride. We all have this sin nature in our flesh which needs to be put to death daily!
It can be so subtle especially if we have a gift, calling and an annoiting. We can get confused placing our identity in what we do. Out identity is Galatians 2:20. How do I walk in Galatians 2:20? I must be willing to humble my heart, purify it daily, by surrendering to the Holy Spirit who does the work in me, realizing that in my flesh dwells no good thing. Romans 7:18.
I need the body of Christ, and realize that I am just apart of His body, called to be a vessel for Him! This takes off the stress and burden of carrying the whole weight of being “Holy” or saving the world. We can’t be holy on our own. We have to choose to humble and honor Christ in us the hope of glory.
We need to see Christ in each other even if he is not manifesting out of that person at the moment. We must always see each other with the eyes of the Father. Holy means set apart for God. The words Holy and whole go together in the fact that in order to be Holy we must surrender our all and then come into the pure family of God which brings our part to the whole body of Christ. We come into the wholeness of the body of Christ. Many Christians never walk in this glorious victory because we never surrender our hidden pride thinking that we have to walk alone with God!
The truth is we spend quiet time with Him but we can’t stay alone we must let all walls down, take off the mask, come into reality that in our flesh dwells no good thing. We could still be alone and not connected to the true body of Christ walking in purity even when we go to church or converse with the body. Going to church does not mean anything if we do not have true connection with the body of Christ. True connection with the body of Christ is choosing to humble our hearts and be in reality with one another. No more play acting but a daily walk in the Spirit of God allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us! Sad to say many are afraid to do this because in the body of Christ we have not operated out of His perfect love which cast out ALL fear.
We have not understood the beauty of His holiness. When we understand the beauty of holiness we draw to the light gladly not out of an ungodly fear but a Godly fear that is so full of joy and peace to be with Daddy God in His arms.
This can be hard if we have lived with a religious mask all of our lives thinking it was real. This brings intense stress and pressure and if we are leading others this way, it is a form of spirtual abuse. We then end up putting this pressure and stress on each other- spiritual abuse. We all have some point in our walk have done this wether in thought or deed this is in our flesh.
The mask comes when we think that WE have to BE Christians. I have to bring revival, save the world in my own strength. This is our pride that is in ALL of our flesh that needs to die daily! Galatians 2:20. WE can’t on our own strength do anything but only through Christ in us and being connected to His true family- the body of Christ.
This is how we cast ALL our aniexty on Him by coming to Him, which is a family- the body of Christ.