Who do you tell?

1 Peter 5:6-9 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Who do you tell? Who do you go to with your struggles; not your cares of this world, but your deep, dark, struggles with life? Is it your spouse, your pastor, your best friend? Is there someone who truly knows your heart, not the facade that you adorn for the day? You may help others, you may even fool others, but God knows your deepest struggles with life and the anxieties and depressions of it. In the pride of my life, I shelter my deepest struggles from those closest to me. I choose not to place my weights upon their shoulders, but I cannot hide them from God. He has either designed or allowed every battle that I face; He is the only one I am open with in prayer regarding the lows of life. That is what Peter is writing here, to cast our cares upon God.

Peter is addressing leaders in the church here in his epistle; he is addressing those that carry the weights of their flock upon their shoulders. Sometimes, they would feel prideful because of their position, and their facade would harden their hearts towards God. Peter is reminding them to remain humble in all things, for God knows all things, and they should be open and cast their struggles upon the shoulders of the One who can carry them. He is reminding them of the importance of their hearts for God (be sober, be vigilant); he is telling all of us to seek him continually with our hearts, minds, body, and soul. I like the MSG translation, for it seems to address the anxieties of a mind not focused on God, but on the anxiety. 8 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.

It is not of coincidence, not for a vivid picture, but an accurate portrayal of how Satan prowls like a lion as Peter writes. Lions don’t attack the strongest of the herd, they attack those weakened or distracted. That is why Peter writes, “ be prepared and pay attention.” Satan many times comes on the heels of a spiritual high, when we are distracted, prideful, and unprepared for the attack; many times it is through someone close to us. Satan preys on us when we are weak, for this is the easiest prey, for we are not prepared. We fall victim to his attacks, and he continues the assault weakening us as he drags us off God’s path. We must fight him with God’s Word! Peter did not write to flee, he commanded us to fight! How did Jesus fight when Satan tempted him? He fought with quotes from God’s Word. The fight, your ability to resist the devil is only found in your heartfelt knowledge of God’s Word. If you are unprepared to fight off an attack, who will you turn to? Who will you tell your deepest struggles to? Will you go to God? He is waiting to carry the weight of your world, your worries, for you is you will humble yourself and ask.