Stress Is Sin

Spurgeon with Fioa commentary.

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.” Psalm 55:22

Care (anxiety) even though exercised upon legitimate objects, if carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin.  (We tend to excuse this sin as we think anxiety too hard to be rid of.  However, it’s the essence of unbelief to allow this trait to dominate our minds.)

The very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God!  We attempt to think of that which we fancy He will forget and we labor to take upon ourselves our weary burden as if He were unable or unwilling to take it for us.  (Think carefully on the continuation of this hard truth expressed by Spurgeon!!)

He who cannot calmly leave his affairs in God’s hand, but will carry his own burden, is very likely to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself.  This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our counselor, and resorting instead to human wisdom.  Anxiety makes us doubt God’s lovingkindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God so that our prayers become hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one of self-seeking.  Want of confidence in God leads us to wander far from Him.  Through simple faith in His promise, we cast each burden as it comes upon Him, and are “careful (anxious; full of care; troubled; all those emotions that give us a joyless countenance and thus dishonor God) for nothing”  (that means no stress about ANYTHING—WOW!!  Hmmmm-impossible?  I don’t think so!  Not if we believe what we say we believe!  So now to continue with Spurgeon…)  “careful for nothing” because He undertakes to care for us, it will keep us close to Him, and strengthen us against much temptation.  “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.” (end of Spurgeon)  Or put another way…GOD will give and give and keep giving perfect peace (that’s a mouthful there… “perfect peace”!  I want it!) to those who keep their minds on Him because they TRULY trust Him!  Truly trust!!  Freefall!  I know God is there.  I don’t see Him but I know without a shadow of a doubt that He IS and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  The reward?  Perfect peace!  Not perfect circumstances…perfect peace.  And thus, glory to God!