Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Transparency is sometimes difficult for me because of the expectations I place on myself. Being a pastor carries a ton of weight and responsibilities, especially in times like these. But today, I want to be completely honest with you. For whatever reason, and this might come as a shock, I deal with anxiety in my life at certain times. You might not realize it until you get close to me because I tend to hide it fairly well. But it is the one thing that tends to paralyze me from time to time. Many people never struggle with this, but those of you who do understand the added weight and strain it adds to your days.
I realize you probably thought I was perfect in every way (lol), and this may come as a shock to you. But yes, there are holes in the armor and rust in the joints. Since I was in college, I began to create these moments of anxiety that would freeze me into overanalyzing every situation and not being able to determine the best route for myself. So I am continually asking myself the question, “Is this the right direction or decision for me to make?” “How will this decision affect others?” I’m just being honest with you.
Do you ever have those times in your life? If you don’t, feel blessed. If you do, I completely understand. So how can you work through those frozen times and move from inaction to action?
Did you know anxiety is a form of pride?
Me neither, but it is. Think about it this way; when Scripture tells us to cast all our cares on Him, the word for “cares” means anxiety. I explain it this way. Anxiety happens because of all of the unknown possibilities and outcomes we might face as a result of the decisions we make.
When we think we can make those choices on our own, it is a pride issue because we fail to cast. There is no way we can solve every problem in our knowledge and strength. We’re just not that good. That is where pride enters the picture. Anytime we think we can do things without the help of the Lord, we are operating on pride rather than trust. We, myself included, have to get to a place where we rid ourselves of pride and grasp the Lord’s guidance.
Did you know anxiety is remedied by casting?
This issue is a difficult one for me, and I bet for many of you. To cast means to throw something on forcefully. Imagine carrying a 50-pound bag of concrete to your truck. When you get there, you throw it forcefully onto the truck to bear the weight. That is what it means to cast. Once you cast the 50-pound bag, you no longer carry the load.
How many of us do that? We should cast our anxiety on the Lord. It’s not just in the back of a truck or to a friend. Friends are good places to unload our anxieties, but the Lord is the one who wants to take them from us. Remember, it’s not possible to carry the burden of everything ourselves. If you have any doubt, read Psalm 55. It is a great passage to help you understand just how casting looks.
Did you know the Lord cares for us?
So this is why we cast. We cast, or forcefully throw, our anxiety on the Lord because He cares for us like little children. The Lord cares for us because we are His, and He will provide the answers we need and carry us through important decisions in our lives. Will it make things easier? It should. Imagine me walking through the Home Depot parking lot and carrying that 50-pound bag of concrete. I’m struggling from the door to my truck. Sweating and panting like a dehydrated dog! I finally make it to the truck and throw that bag on the truck. That very instant, everything gets better because I’m no longer carrying that weight.
The Lord watched me struggle to carry that 50-pound bag of concrete 100 yards to my truck while instead, wanting me to drive the truck to the door and put the concrete in the truck. It would have saved me 100 yards of sweat and pain. Why? Because He cares for me. He cares for you!
There is one word I want to emphasize. Peter tells us to cast ALL. When he says to cast ALL, he means to leave nothing on the table. Put everything into that 50-pound bag of anxiety and forcefully throw it to the Lord. He never intended for us to be anxious. Why? Because He cares for us that much.
Do I still struggle with anxiety? Sure. Am I getting better? Absolutely. But the Lord never intended for us to be frozen when making decisions or so concerned about tomorrow that we can’t function today. He’s ready and waiting to take our anxiety. Throw it onto His shoulders and trust Him to give you the right answers. If you are sensitive to His direction, He will guide you. And if you still have a difficult time, try reading through Matthew 6:25-34.
He really does care about us.
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